Grey Eyes
by Jalen Kun
Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated M for language. OC Self-insert
1. Enter: Naruto Uzumaki

_**Author's Note: Hiya! Hey everyone who read this story before! As you might know from reading the summary, this is a remake! I'll still keep the original up just in case you want to... Uh, I don't know... Look and distinguish the changes. I'm doing a remake because I just feel the first 10 or so chapters of this story sucked. I would just make edits and stuff, but this is going to have a lot of changes from the original, so I'm making it a totally completely different story. I'm sorry for everyone who doesn't want me to do this... But I'm sure you'll like this one just as much as the other one! It's going to be better written and better descriptions. One of the main differences is the OC's personality... But, you'll see for yourself. I hope you enjoy this story! Bye! **_

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" the unreal one? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, though...**_

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 1_

"Wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

I'm falling! Oh, God, why am I falling?! I was _just_ inside of my comfy bed! Why am I falling?! I'm plummeting to the ground like a rock!

Although, rocks don't get hurt when they fall from hundreds of feet high. They're rocks; they're sturdy. So, I guess I'm falling like... A plane? Yeah, that'll work. Planes explode and people die when planes fall from hundreds of feet to the ground at lightning fast speeds. I'm probably going to explode in a crimson gush and slowly die... Or I might get the lucky satisfaction of dying on impact.

"Wahaaaahhhaaaaahhhhh!"

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. I'll still die, though... Wait! Why am I already accepting my death?! I don't want to die, I want to live! But... Why am I falling, though? I was in my comfy bed earlier... I was just about to read my Naruto Fanfiction. Believe... It?

_Oh, no! Not yet! It can't be time, yet! No... No... No..!_

_"Jalen! It's time for bed," my mom yells from the kitchen. I'm in my room right now, so I could easily fake that I didn't hear her. It gives me another minute or two, but it can sometimes have dastardly consequences. _

_I desperately grab my blue ink pen and color in the white spots. I'm writing my comic right now, so I don't really want to go to bed quite yet. _

_After another minute or so, I can hear my mom call again, "Honey! Go to bed, okay? You know it's a school night!"_

_I think of all the consequences of not responding. I then think of all the advantages of not responding. The latter lost. _

_"Alright, mom," I sigh. I gingerly grab my comic book and pens and toss them on my dresser. I step over my bookbag and walk out my room, heading to the kitchen. My mom awaits me, and as usual, she's doing her homework. She never finished college, so she's trying to finish it on the computer. She rarely gets a good nights sleep anymore, so I'm constantly worried for her. _

_"I love you," I hug her and recieve a kiss on my forehead. "Can I stay up a little longer, though?" I whine. Even though I'm twelve years old, I still have my childish moments. I don't show it much, though. Unless I'm alone with my mom at home. _

_"You know that you can't do that," she replies, sending me off. I give her a sorrowful stare, but she ignores it, going back to her hellwork. That's what I call it, anyway. _

_I sigh and mutter a few obscenities before walking back into my room. I'm not proud of how my room looks, probably because I'm kind of a clean freak. It's not really filthy... But it's not clean either. _

_I ignore the state of my room and grab my phone. I make sure to turn down the ringer and volume before turning off my lights and going to bed. But, I don't exactly "go to bed." As most kids my age, I hide under the covers and play on my phone. Well, not play on my phone... I read. Fanfiction, to be exact. _

_To be more exact, Naruto Fanfiction. _

_What should I read tonight? I go through all of the Naruto stories, but none of them really peak my interest. I settle for the longest one I find, because I plan to be up for a while. _

_Did I mention Naruto is my favorite anime? If not, then I should have, because it is. I really love the plot and everything! Unfortunately, I haven't seen the first show in a while, since I'm currently going through Shippuden._

_Suddenly, while reading the Naruto story, I recieve a text. I thank God that I put my phone on silent and begin reading. I don't usually get texts at this time of the night, so I'm pretty curious. If only I was... Less curious. _

_The text was from someone named "Naruto Uzumaki." There are two things wrong with this. One, I don't have anyone on my contacts named Naruto Uzumaki. Two, there was no number. Just, "Naruto Uzumaki." This freaked me out a little, but let's get on to what the text said. _

_"If you want to live your dreams, text back, "Believe it!""_

_That's... Interesting. To say the least. A random person named Naruto Uzumaki, most likely an obsessed cosplayer, has somehow gotten my number and texted me some shady crap. Would you text back? I, normally, wouldn't. But, I'm currently doped up on Naruto... So I start texting back. I text the word "Believe" and freeze._

_I don't think I can explain this right... So please, try and bare with me. But, I feel... Energy inside me. I feel all pumped up like I'm about to run a race. But, in a better way... I feel amazing, really! I've never really felt like it before! _

_But that's probably nothing, right? I'm just on a sugar rush or something, right? Yeah, I would have thought that... If I wasn't able to, uh, __**see**__ blue fire inside me. It's... It's not fire, though. It doesn't burn... It strangly reminds me of chakra..._

_I prevent myself from screaming. I can't scream now... It's too late for that. Right now, I'm too excited and pumped up to stop. So I type in "It."_

_**This**__, right here, is where things get a __**whole**__ lot better. The blue fire is burning harder and getting bigger inside of me, and I can tell that someone else is in my house. My mom, of course, but... I can __**feel**__ her! It's an amazing feeling! I feel ecstatic! I feel aroused! _

_I feel alive!_

_And then I feel nothing because I black out. And I wake up falling to my death into what looks like a city!_

That's what happened. But, thinking back on it, I feel like I know where I am. I'm falling into the Naruto world, right? It only makes sense... But that doesn't exclude the fact that I'm falling to my death! And I'm finally close enough to count down until my unfortunate demise!

5...

I close my eyes.

4...

3...

I put my hands over my eyes and get in a fetal position.

2...

1...

I get ready to feel the most pain I've ever felt in my life. Goodbye world... I'll miss you...

**Thud! **

"Ow!"

A hard hit, then a pain-filled yelp. Did I land on someone? But, who? Whoever they are, they smell like some sort of ramen. None I've had... But, I can just tell it's ramen...

"C-Can you get off of me?" The person asks. I open my eyes instantly and jump off the person, landing on my butt. This boy's voice sounds familiar... Who is this person?

I'm totally grateful for whoever this guy is, since he practically saved my life... But... This is too confusing...

The boy looks up, one eye closed and his right hand rubbing his head. I recognize him almost instantly. He has unruly blond hair and electrifying blue eyes. He also has three whisker marks on each side of his face...

...

Any Naruto fan would have easily recognized this as Naruto Uzumaki! He even has on the orange jacket and orange pants! And, if my hypothesis that I'm in the Naruto world is true... This is the real Naruto and not just some really obsessed cosplayer! I'm looking at the real Naruto!

...

Or... Or I'm asleep right now and this is a dream. Yeah... It must be. I'm dreaming right now... Yeah... That must be it. No one can just randomly appear in the Naruto world! It's unscientifical!

"Hey, um. Hey, um," he starts, staring at me the same way I'm staring at him. "Who are you? And why did you just suddenly fall from the sky?"

I'll have to play this cool... Even if this is a dream, I need to concentrate so I don't wake up until I want to.

"I-I'm sorry for f-falling on top of you!" I stutter, bending down in the Japanese way. Yeah... Of course I'm nervous. Who wouldn't be?! "My name... My name is," I pause. What am I supposed to say? My real name? I guess my first name, but my last name won't work. I know that for certain. "...Jalen. My name is Jalen. And I fell from the sky because..."

I fell from the sky because... Well, I don't really know. I'm from another world where you aren't real and people watch your life on TV and computers. I got a text from you, on a phone, something that doesn't exist here, and I ended up falling from the sky. You softened my fall... Hahahaha!

**NOT! **

Yeah, I'm sure that won't work. Even if this is a dream, I'm almost positive I'll be ignored and called crazy.

Now that I'm looking around, I can tell that's it night time in the village. People are walking by, and some gave us confused stares. I ignore them, looking back at the confused Naruto.

"I... Don't have an answer to that," I deadpan, deciding that that is the best answer.

Naruto scratches his head while also tilting it. "You're... Kinda weird," he says, making me frown. Of course I'm weird to you. To be honest, this whole world is weird to me. "But," he stares at me, like he is inspecting me. He is mostly looking at my eyes, though... Are my eyes a weird color?

He suddenly grins, though. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, the best ninja in the world, believe it!"

I blink, then blink again. The longer I stare at him, the longer I feel that this isn't a dream. I also feel kinda warm... I would later realize it was because he had refreshing chakra.

"Well, see ya later, Jalen!" He grins, getting off the ground and dusting himself off. He extends his hand, so I grab it, pulling myself off of the ground. He turns around, still grinning, and runs off, waving bye. "I'm becoming a ninja tomorrow, so I have to get up early! I'll see you some other time."

That's what felt different! One, he looks my age. Second, he doesn't have on his forehead protector! So, this is basically the start of the show...

...

And he's leaving. He said he'll see me again... But in a world filled with ninja, and not knowing where I am...

I can't let him leave me. It was pure **luck **that I fell on him, but I don't think I'll be having anymore coincidences. I need to follow him, I need to befriend him! And doing that, I should be able to survive... In... This world...

This world...

I'm in a different world. Away from everyone I love...

...

"No, Jalen!" I coach myself. "It's no time for thinking, I just need to do!" I nod, and with a breath of renewed air... I run after him.

"Naruto! H-Hey, wait!" I yell. I somehow catch up with him and grab his shoulder to turn him around.

He gives me another curious look before asking, "Huh? What do you need?" I bite my lip. I feel my breath stopping as I realize what I just did. What am I going to say? Let me live with you? I doubt that he'd just let some random boy that he hasn't met for ten minutes stay with him. **I** wouldn't!

But... There's no point in not trying. If I don't try, then I'll die without doing anything about it. And maybe this is just a very realistic dream... So I might as well stick around with the main character! I'll have to suck it up and just ask!

"N-Naruto," I look down. "Can... Can I please, uh, stay... With you?"

Time stops. The only things that were still moving was Naruto and I, as I wait for his answer.

"S-Stay with me?!" Naruto exclaims, widening his electric blue eyes. "Why? Don't you have a home?" I wish I did...

"No," I answer. "And my parents are dead. I literally have nowhere to go..."

I guess that lie will have to suffice for now. It's probably very cliche, though.

Naruto's face turns from a mixture of surprise and confusion to sadness. He opens his mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. After a while he looks down. "I'm sorry," he apologizes.

"Don't be," I tell him, grabbing both his shoulders for him to look at me. "You're the same, aren't you?"

...Why did I say that?! I'm so freaking dumb! Why would I even respond to his apology?! Gah! I'm so stupid, so stupid!

"How did you..?"

"Through my years living alone, you see things!" I say, talking a bit louder than I wanted to. "I see how the villagers treat you! I even see how the kids treat you! I've always... I've always wanted to say something to those people... I've always wanted to punch each and every one of them in the face!" I would have stopped there, but a newfound emotion came over me.

"I've noticed how you're always alone," I continue. "I've always wanted to, uh, be your friend, but I was too shy..."

Naruto looks surprised. He doesn't say anything as he watches me ramble on and on. After I finish, he still doesn't say anything. His eyes are widened, and his mouth is slightly open...

"C-Can I just stay with you, please? Only for one night... I promise I won't do anything bad, or anything like that..."

What am I saying?! One night?! Well, this is just a dream, so I should wake up soon... And what did I mean when I said I wouldn't do anything bad? What bad thing would I be able to do? I guess stealing and stuff...

"S-Sure," Naruto mumbles, a light tint of red on his face. I feel my face getting a little hot, too.

But... He actually said yes. I don't believe it, not one bit... He would actually let a random boy he saw on the street live with him... Is that generous, or just plain stupid?

He starts walking away, motioning for me to follow. I do, so we are now walking side by side to his house. Or... His apartment. When the silence between us became unbearable, I decide to talk. Before I can, however, Naruto did.

"You know," he starts. "Y-You don't have to stay with me for one day," he pauses. "You could stay... You could stay as long as you need to..."

I stop walking. Did he really just say that? He said I could actually stay forever?! I... I was definitely going to beg him to let me stay longer tomorrow, but... But this is perfect! I'm probably the luckiest person alive to just randomly fall on top of Naruto and now I won't be wandering this village alone!

He notices that I'm not walking with him and turns around, but before he can say anything, I hug him. I know that's probably not the best or right thing to do, but that's the only way I could express my happiness without it sounding fake. I'm often told I'm very snarky.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" I exclaim, a big smile on my face. He laughs childishly.

"Haha! No problem! I'm such a good person!"

We make it to where his apartment is located. We walk up a bunch of stairs and see this hallway-like place, although we aren't inside, yet. There is a door in the middle of the hallway, so he takes out some keys and open it.

My first thought as we walk in the room; messy. Ramen cups and weapons and scrolls and dust and **everything **is littered across the floor. How does he live like this?! How can anyone, no matter how dirty they are, live in such... Such **filth!**

Naruto notices my expression and sheepishly laughs, "Sorry, sorry," he starts to desperately clean up. "I didn't think I would have company!"

That... Doesn't mean you have to live like this... And can't you just use the Shadow Clone Jutsu to get done faster? I swear... Naruto...

"Done!" He exclaims in all his greatness. I sweatdrop before walking further in the room. Wow, it looks exactly like it does in the anime... But, nothing is animated. Everything looks real... I'm in the real Naruto world...

Without my mom...

"Jalen? Are you okay?" Naruto asks me, bringing me out of my tear jerking thoughts. "You looked pretty sad for a minute," he says.

I give a fake smile, holding back tears. "I'm fine. Thanks again, Naruto!"

"No problem, Jalen!" He exclaims. He walks over to his kitchen and opens up a bottom cupboard. "Do you want some ramen?" He asks. I just nod.

This place smells exactly like him, like ramen. Although, I'm sure it's not healthy to smell like and eat only ramen all day. Oh, well... Who am I to judge his eating habits? I hardly eat anything else except fish at home...

Home...

I sit at the table while Naruto makes the food. I see his ninja headband on the dresser... There's only one bed... He has a closet and a bathroom... It's a perfect place for one person. I just hope there's no roaches...

"It's ready, it's ready," Naruto sings after a while. "Ramen~. Ramen~," he pours out the unnecessary water and places a cup in front of me. He gives me some chopsticks and then sit down himself. "Itadakimasu!"

"I-Itadakimasu," I say, looking down as I fumble with my chopsticks. There's no way I know how to use these... I'm gonna look like a complete idiot...

"What's wrong?" Naruto asks, looking up at me with curious eyes. He's still slurping up ramen, but he's slowing down to talk to me. Like... Like a little kid... "You don't eat ramen?"

Think of a lie! Think of a lie! Think of a lie! Think of a lie! Think of a lie!

"No one's ever taught me how to eat with chopsticks," I say. "I've always lived alone, remember? On the streets..."

He gulps down all the ramen and looks at me seriously. "Really? How did you survive for so long?!"

"When you really want to live, you find a way," I decide to say. That's a good lie, I guess... "Anyway, how about you? Why're you living in this house alone? How do you pay for it?"

He grins. "Old man Hokage is letting me stay here for free until I become a ninja," he explains. I just nod, already knowing this. "I'm going to the Orientation tomorrow. I'll become an official ninja then!"

"Wow, Lord Hokage is letting you stay here for free?" I muse with a sly grin. "You must be special, huh."

His grin gets bigger as he sheepishly scratches his head. "Oh, I'm nothing special, ya know," he says. Although, I can hear a slight hint of worry in his voice... I wonder why? I guess he doesn't want me to know he's the Nine Tail's Jinchuuriki...

We kept mindlessly talking - I decided to just slurp the ramen from the cup. It was surprisingly the best thing I've had in a while - before Naruto decided it was time to go to bed. I was actually pretty surprised of this, considering it's _**Naruto**_! But, he told me it's just because he doesn't want to be late for his Orientation. He unsurprisingly left the table without cleaning up, so I had to.

After I finished eating and cleaning, I found out Naruto already had his night clothes on. The pajama's are gray in color with white lining, and he is wearing a gray and black night cap. It's amazing how he goes out wearing orange, then goes to bed wearing black and gray. That's... Just... Wow.

He was sitting on the bed when he said, "You don't have any pajamas." I resist the urge to facepalm at how late he realized that. Then again, I went to sleep in red and black pajama pants and a gray T-shirt... What am I wearing now? More importantly, what do I look like?!

"Oh yeah, I don't," I say in fake surprise. "Do you have any I could borrow?" I ask. He just nods, jumping off the bed and running over to his closet. I notice the smile he has on is just... _Blinding_! He must really be tired of being alone...

He pulls out an exact replica of what he is wearing, minus the hat. Before he hands them to me, however, he says with a scrunch of his nose, "Before you put these on, take a shower; you stink."

...What? What did he say? I stink? Th-That's impossible! Before I fell into this world, I clearly remember taking a shower before I went to bed! Actually, I take a shower morning and night! I sometimes get yelled at for wanting to take one during the day! You might know this already, but I'm a shower freak! The king of showers!

So, there's absolutely no way I stink! No way what-so-ever!

"Oh, I do? Hahaha," I sheepishly scratch my head, a sheepish smile also on my face. I have no intention of flipping out on Naruto, yet. I'll just take another shower and then go to sleep. Hopefully I'll be back in the real world when I wake up. And I can check myself out in the bathroom.

I take the clothes out of his hands and walk in the bathroom, softly closing the door behind me. As if the apartment would break down if I didn't. I resist the urge to fall to my knees and sulk. Instead, I shake off all of the sadness I have and turn to the mirror.

I understand now why Naruto believed my story of living on the street. I look like... I literally look like I've been abused all my life. I also look like I've really been living on the street forever...

I have messy blue hair. Not the cool kind of messy... More like the "I haven't brushed my hair for years" messy. It also looks kind of darkened, like it's too dirty. I look like I haven't washed it in years.

I have plenty of healing cuts along my arm and an obvious scar on my left cheek. I winced at that. I don't like it. I also have a bandaid on my nose, probably hiding another scar. I don't want to unpeel it... I'm afraid of what I'll see.

I'm wearing a black T-shirt that looks a little too big and an orange jacket with black linings. My shorts are blue, and I have more cuts on my legs. I'm wearing blue sandals... And now that I realize it... There's dirt all over me. It's not very obvious, but I'm very dirty. And my shorts have holes in it...

But... The uneasiest thing about me is... My eyes. They're grey. They hardly have any color in it at all. Just staring at myself makes me wanna ask what's wrong. I look... I look so depressed. I look suicidal even!

I quickly turn away from the mirror and strip naked. I really need this shower...

...

After the necessarily long shower, I put on the clothes he gave me and walk out. They surprisingly fit perfectly! Before I approach him, however, I make sure to put on a smile. Even if it's not entirely real, I don't want to look as dead as I did in the mirror. I'm not really a depressing person at all! I'm, uh, very emotional, though, I guess... I just don't want to leave my world to some imaginary and fake one. I'm already missing everyone...

"Wow, Jalen! You look so much more refreshed!" He gleams happiness, like a beacon of light. You know... Knowing Naruto's life... I can't really stay sad for long. His life has been horrible, but he's still able to be joyful... If he can, I can, too!

"Thanks, Naruto!" I exclaim, a real smile on my face now. I suddenly feel the need to see what time it is, so I start looking around for a clock. There's a digital clock on top of Naruto's mini dresser beside his bed. It says it is 11:24pm.

"Um, hey... Um, hey," Naruto starts, sitting down on his bed. "How old are you?" That's not random at all.

"I'm 12 years old," I reply. "How about you?" I ask, even though I knew.

"I'm 12, too!" He says in complete happiness. "When's your birthday?"

"December 25th."

"Mine's October 10th! That means I'm older than you!"

"...You know it's past 11 o'clock, right?"

"Whhhaaaaaa?!" He swiftly turns his head to the digital clock and gasps. He just stares at it, as if it's some kind of illusion. After a while he turns back to me, a funny look on his face. "Well, I kinda have to go to my Orientation tomorrow, so I have to go to bed, or else I'll wake up late," he explains, turning off the lights. I just nod, watching as he yawns and then walk to the bed.

He childishly jumps in the bed, pulling the covers over him.

...

...

...

"Jalen," he looks up, a sheepish smile on his face. "There's only one bed," he says. I sweatdrop. How many seconds did that take?

"That's alright. I'll just sleep on the floor," I say, looking at the floor with distaste in my emotionless eyes. He furiously shook his head.

"No! You shouldn't have to! I can sleep on the floor!"

Hook. Line. And sinker.

Before I can finish my successful trick on Naruto, he suddenly inquires, "Why don't we both sleep on the bed? We're both guys, after all."

Well... The bed is small, but it _can_ hold both of us... More like, it'll probably be uncomfortable, but at least I won't have to sleep on the floor. And I won't feel right making Naruto sleep on the floor, considering this is his apartment.

I slide in the bed and pull the covers over myself. I try to get as far away from Naruto as possible, but if I scoot over anymore I would fall. I sigh and turn my body, now facing Naruto... And find myself staring in his blue eyes.

_Of course _I'm interested in his cool, blue eyes. I've never met anyone with blue eyes, and especially never up this close where I can see every detail. Then again, this _is_ a little too close for comfort...

I close my eyes and turn around so my back was facing the boy. I don't particularly like my face being inches away from another boy, even if it is Naruto...

"Hey, Jalen," Naruto says softly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Um, well... Um, well..."

"Spit it out," I demand. I'm making a note of not being rude, but I'm pretty sleepy... I get irritated sometimes when I'm sleepy.

"Since we're both, uh, living together... And we both don't have any parents," he pauses, as if hesitating. "W-Wanna be brothers, ya know?"

...

Did he just ask if I wanted to be brothers with him?

"Naruto," I start. I need to know... "Why... Why would you let some random person stay the night over your place? There's a thing called being too nice... I just need to know..."

He doesn't answer. I'm starting to think he fell asleep or something, but he suddenly asks, "You said you were always alone, right?"

I don't answer. I just shift uncomfortably, feeling his eyes bore a hole in my head.

"So you know, right? You know how hard it is to be alone," he says, his voice cracking a little. "And... I'm a good judge of character... I could see in your eyes you weren't bad. You looked broken, lonely. I just," I feel him turn in the bed, his back slightly touching mine. "I don't want to be alone anymore..."

That's... That's so sad. One, he's been so alone all his life that he won't decline the request of a random boy to stay with him for one night. Second, he's so scared of being alone again that he actually told me that I can stay for as long as I like... And just to make sure that he won't be alone, he asked me if I wanted to be his brother. That's just...

"Huh? Jalen? What's wrong? Are you crying?"

"**Of course not!**"

...In my defense... Seeing how sad Naruto is in real life is enough to make you at least shed a few tears.

Naruto laughs. It got quiet fast, though. The silence is unnerving, even. I feel that Naruto is waiting for something...

I suddenly remember I didn't answer his question.

"Naruto," I say, then feel him stiffen. "Of course I'll be your brother!"

He turns to look at my head again. "Really?!"

"Of course!"

We both laugh this time. I really feel at ease... Maybe this is why I was sent to this world? So I could befriend Naruto and let him know he's not alone? I guess... I don't know...

Hopefully... Hopefully when I wake up, though... I'll be back in my real world.

And with that thought, I fall asleep by the already snoring Naruto...

_~At A Secret Base Far Away~_

_Scary. _

That's the first word she thought of when meeting Orochimaru. The snake practically lusted over the girl, and she was scared. She knew of Orochimaru's tests, she was just lucky Kabuto wasn't there. She would survive for a while, but she knew she would never be safe.

She seemed to be a pretty good fighter, and very unique. That's what the snake said, anyway. It was probably the fear, though. She knew she would die a cold death if she wasn't strong. And she made sure to leave a good enough impression. Not that good, though... Orochimaru could get really creepy to people with prodigy-like qualities.

She was told to fight and fight until her whole body bled, until her whole body ached. And all she got out of it was a chance to live another day. She was locked up in some sort of prison until they wanted her to fight again.

_I'm not gonna survive, _she always tells herself, but she somehow always managed to. _Someone just kill me, _she wants to say, but she can't. She wants to survive to be able to do at least one thing while in the world...

_Oh, God... Please allow me to survive one more day, _she prays each day she was there. _So one day... I'll be able to meet Sasuke Uchiha... Because..._

Because she loves Sasuke Uchiha.

_**Author's Note: Well... You can see the differences a mile away. You can also see some of the same things, too. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter... And don't worry about Jalen! He may be a depressed, emotional guy (Not like Sasuke) but he won't be weak. I promise you that much, at least. And even if he seems kinda weak at first, it's called character development. :P**_

_**And what was that about at the end? Well... You'll see... Muhahahaha!**_

_**Bye nii~!**_


	2. I'm Really Stuck Here?

**Author's Note: Well... I, um... I hope you all are enjoying this. I really feel awful about... No. I won't talk about Naruto: The New Story. I WON'T! Yeah... I feel derp... And just so you all know, this will take on it's own plot... More or less. Also, I wrote in a weird way last chapter... I didn't write in past-tense as I usually do. Well, I can't explain it... So, as always, enjoy! ;)**

**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" the unreal one? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke and Kiba wouldn't be so unlikable!**

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 2_

_A little boy. He was sitting on the cold, dusty floor. He was crying. Oh, he was crying so much..._

_A man with long, dark hair slowly walked over to the boy. He enjoyed making the boy tense up with every step he took, a sadistic sneer forming on his face. He licked his lips, intent on making the boy cower under him. _

_"Stop crying," he hissed. The boy quieted down, but the tears were still running. His voice seemed to be completely muted by the man's presence. And the man liked that a lot. "Stand up."_

_The boy complied, not wasting a second as he got on his feet. He sniffed. He didn't look up at the man, the fear too strong to handle. The long haired man noticed this. He loved it. He grabbed the boy's chin and brought his face up to look at his owm. _

_"You have the most unique eyes," the man said. And as soon as the boy stared into the man's serpent-like eyes, his legs lost all their strength and he fell on the floor with a yelp of pain. His knees were terribly aching. _

_"You disgust me," the man monotoned, kicking the boy in the face. The boy didn't make a sound as he took the abuse; he was use to it. The man started walking out the room, but not before giving a final warning, "My assistant will be here later for you. He's not that much older than you... You better get ready."_

_And with that he was gone. The door creaked as it slowly came to a close... And..._

"**Jalen!**"

I woke up with a jolt of energy. My head shot up and I instantly started looking around. Am I back in the real world?! It must be time for school, right?! My mom was the one who called my name, right?!

I desperately rubbed my eyes and shaded them from the sunlight to see.

"Oh, no," I mumbled. I looked straight into Naruto's wall mirror and saw myself. My **fake** self.

This... This can't be right. I'm still in Naruto's apartment... It's not... It's not fair! It's not fair! It's NOT FAIR!

"Jalen? Are you alr-"

I burst into tears. I put my face in my lap and silently cried. I'm really stuck here... And I don't even know why... I'm just stuck in a stupid anime...

Although, I don't think that's the only reason I'm crying. I... I was having a dream before I woke up, wasn't I? I feel... I can't remember entirely all of it... But I feel that was a bad dream...

"Jalen, what's wrong with you?!" Naruto asked me, his voice rising as he shook me. I resisted the urge to smack away his hand and jumped up.

I speed walked to the bathroom, making sure he doesn't see my face. "Thanks for waking me up. I'll be out in a minute," I said, making my voice sound as calm as I could. I softly shut the door behind me and fell to the ground, silently crying and banging my fist on the floor.

After crying and cursing under my breath for a few minutes, I felt a little devoid of emotion. I felt numb, and looking in the mirror I noticed my grey eyes suited me for that instant. I then noticed the scar and scowled at myself. Someone's laughing at me somewhere, I know it.

"Why is this happening?" I asked no one in particular. That's what I really want to know... Why me? Why am I the unlucky one? What have I done to deserve this?

I turned on the sink and started washing my face. The water felt so good on my face that I unconsciously started washing my hair. The dirt that didn't come off last night fell in the sink, going down the hole.

"I forgot to get clothes for my shower," I mumbled. I shook my head to get the water out and walked out the bathroom. Naruto was in the kitchen, making breakfast. When he noticed me walking out he gave me a cheery smile, to which I tried to give back. I couldn't.

"Do you want breakfast, Jalen?" He asked, as if what happened earlier didn't happen. For all I care, it didn't.

"Ramen again?" I asked. He nodded. "Sure, whatever," I sighed. I suddenly remembered him getting sick by drinking the spoiled milk. I thought about stopping him, but then thought against it. It'll teach him a lesson to not drink spoiled milk.

"Naruto," I called out to him, making him quickly turn his head to look at me. "Can I, uh," I paused. I really don't wanna... "Can I borrow a pair of your boxers? I don't have any," I finally said. He blinked. Then blinked again. Then blinked one more time before grinning.

"Hehe, sure!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing over to his dresser. "We are brothers after all!"

_I'm sure most brothers don't share underwear, _I thought bitterly, before walking to the dresser, opening it, grabbing a random pair, and closing it. I then grabbed my clothes I had on yesterday and started walking to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower, alright?" And with that I walked in the bathroom, closing the door behind me a little more forcefully than the other two times.

He's so weird. But, I owe him my life. If I'm going to stay in this world all my life... I don't know what I'm going to do. He actually let me live here with him, though. Even if he was mostly thinking of himself... I really thank him for that. That's why... I'm going to protect Naruto! Starting today!

Although... I'm really in the worst mood...

After I finished my shower and put on my clothes I stayed in the bathroom for a little longer. I felt like shit, so I needed to calm myself down before going out there... I feel like I'm forgetting something important...

...

Ah! I didn't brush my teeth. I don't own a toothbrush, though... And I'm definitely not using Naruto's. I guess... I guess I'll just squirt the toothpaste in my mouth with water and gargle.

And that's exactly what I did. I need to make sure my breath doesn't stink, because I'm in a bad mood and if someone mentions my bad breath, I won't hesitate to tell them about themselves.

Although, that won't happen because the toothpaste should freshen me up.

"_Auuughh! Jaleennn!_" Naruto yelled, rushing past me as soon as I walked out. "You took too long! I'm gonna be late!" And with that he shut the door to the bathroom. I stared at the door blankly, before curiously walking over to the balcony. I shyly opened the sliding screen door, as if someone was gonna come and stab me in the head. However, in this world, you can't be sure.

When the door was fully open and the sunlight was shining all inside the apartment, I dared step outside. I hate to admit it, but it _is_ beautiful. Little brown birds flew away from the balcony as I neared the edge. The sky was a beautiful blue hue that just felt right with the perfect white clouds floating above our heads.

It felt like I was in some sort of fairy tale. But, I'm not. I'm in the Naruto World where people kill for a living. It's fucking perfect. That was sarcasm, if you didn't see it.

"...This place is something special, though," I mumbled. "It looks way better than my world... And the air is so much more clearer," I added, placing my elbows on the rail and putting my head in my hands. I probably look like I'm thinking about someone I like.

But that's impossible. With my eyes, I probably looked like I was considering jumping off the rail and ending my life. I wouldn't commit suicide, though. I personally don't like the thought of dying, and I don't want to leave Naruto alone. But, I can't stay here forever, can I?

I slowly closed my eyes and relaxed. I feel... I feel a sense of calmness. Just being outside while the wind blows... I feel at peace for an instant.

I suddenly feel something else. Like a nagging pull inside my head. It's pulling forward; in front of me, and it makes me feel uneasy. It makes me feel in danger. I open my eyes and look to see what's wrong, but there's nothing there. The feeling is gone, too, but there's a slight throbbing in the same direction.

I decide to ignore it, closing my eyes again as I fall deep into my thoughts. But, almost as soon as I do, the nagging pull is back. It's pulling backwards; behind me. But, I also feel calmer... I feel more refreshed than I've ever been. I feel **safe**.

"Jalen," Naruto suddenly called out to me, surprising me. Why did he have to ruin my peace? Although... I still feel it for some reason.

His neck was still wet from the quick shower he took, and so was his hair, shown by the towel on top of his head. "I'm, uh, I'm about to go to my Orientation now. I'll see you when I come back, okay?" It sounded like he was choosing his words carefully, as if he was actually making sure I would be here when he got back.

There's no real need for him to worry. There's nowhere I _could_ go. I don't know my way around this gigantic village, and I don't want to live on the street. I'm not one of those self pitying types who worry about always being a bother.

There's also another reason he shouldn't worry...

"I'm going with you," I said, but I was truly asking. He widened his eyes in surprise and confusion. Those blue eyes... I wish I had blue eyes. Anything's better than this depressing grey. "Please," I added.

"B-But, you can't! You aren't becoming a ninja, are you?"

"No," I answered. There's a part of me that wants to become a ninja; the dumb part. My safe part tells me that being a ninja will ultimately kill me, so no thank you! "But can I please go with you? I really, uh, want to..."

Naruto didn't answer for a while, like he was thinking it over. But then he suddenly grinned and put up a thumbs up, exclaiming, "Sure! There's no rule that you can't! You'll just be watching!"

Actually... I think there _is_ a rule that I can't go, but if I remember correctly, Kakashi and The Hokage will be here soon, and I don't want to be here for that...

I nodded anyway, though, and Naruto and I left the balcony. He grabbed his forehead protector and stared at himself in the mirror. I don't want to see myself again... I'm not use to my blue hair, grey eyes, and scar on my left cheek.

"**Okay, let's go!**" Naruto shouted, fist pumping the air.

!

What's this... Feeling..? That refreshing feeling I felt earlier? But, I'm not relaxing or anything... Actually, when I stare at Naruto and narrow my eyes... I see a blue fire inside of him. It's traveling all through his body... Is that chakra? Looking at his chakra more clearly, I feel calmer. Happy, even! So, when I focus on his chakra I feel refreshed, calm, and a little happy...

But, does this mean I can sense chakra? That's what it sounds like. When I was on the balcony earlier, I felt a tugging in my head, or something like that. I must have been sensing Naruto coming behind me.

That's actually pretty cool! It wouldn't hurt to have this ability... And if someone's trying to sneak up and kill me I can, uh, run away in time? Yeah... Run away...

"Come on!" Naruto grabbed my wrist and pulled me out the apartment. He closed the door behind him, but he was so excited that he forgot to lock it. I guess that's how Kakashi and The Hokage get in so easily.

We were now walking down the street, walking pass adults and little kids. I noticed some of the adults giving us looks that practically said, "Why is _he_ able to walk on our street?" and "Who is that other scruffy looking boy?" and "How come _he's_ a ninja?!"

I ignored the looks, but Naruto looked uncomfortable, although he kept on walking, too happy and excited to say anything about them. After a while he turned a corner, and I obviously followed.

The road we were now walking on didn't have any people on it. I guess Naruto got sick and tired of the looks and decided to walk on a deserted street. I felt peaceful, but the road didn't seem so deserted to me. It looks deserted, but I feel... I feel someone up ahead. Am I sensing them?

"You're on, Naruto!"

Naruto and I stopped walking and watched as a little boy jumped up from his hiding spot in the fence and glared at us. But, he stepped on the towel he was using to blend in with the fence and tripped. "Wah!" He screamed and fell face first to the ground. "Ow!"

...

"Uh, what do you think you're doing, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked. My eyes widened in surprise. Oh, yeah! That's Konohamaru! How could I forget something like this..? Even if I hadn't seen the show in a while, I should have still been able to know Konohamaru was going to pop up.

"That was a slick move," Konohamaru groaned, getting up on his knees. "That's why I respect you as a rival, ugh," he moaned, looking up at us.

...

"But I didn't do anything," Naruto deadpanned. Wow, this kid is lame.

"Hey," I started, breaking their useless conversation and making Konohamaru turn to look at me. "Why... No, how did you know Naruto was coming this way?" I asked.

He smirked, "Because Naruto always comes this way!"

"How long were you waiting here?"

"Hm... About 30 minutes."

I sweatdropped. He sounds like a stalker... A real stalker...

"Anyway, who are you?!" Konohamaru demanded.

"Oh, me?" I sheepishly laughed, scratching my cheek with my pointer finger. "My name's Jalen. You're the Hokage's Grandson, right? Konohamaru, right? You're named after the village, right?"

God, I'm so awkward. Just let me die here in peace... This is too embarrassing.

"In other words," Naruto started, putting his arm around my shoulder. "This is my brother. Believe it." I felt my face go hot at being called his brother. It's probably because I know I'm not his real brother. Although, maybe it's more than that... Did I have a brother in my world?

...

Of course not. If I did, I would remember, of course. And since I don't have any memories of having any siblings, then I didn't have any siblings. As simple as that.

...Why do I feel so uneasy about it, though?

"He's your brother, Naruto?!" Konohamaru asked, looking at me in amazement and a hint of jealousy. I wonder why..? "But, you two look so different, and he looks weird!"

That stupid brat. And how can he say _I_ look weird?! He's wearing a nasty tan shirt, nasty grey pants, nasty blue sandals, a nasty grey helmet, and has nasty, spiky black hair sticking out of a hole in his helmet. He's even wearing a blue scarf that runs along the ground wherever he goes! He's the epitome of weird.

"_Anyway_," I bit back the insults and grabbed Naruto's wrist, walking around Konohamaru and away from him. "We're going now. Bye," I said.

"Nope!" He ran and slid in front of us, doing a ninja hand seal. "Naruto, my rival, is going to fight me fair and square!"

When ninja do hand seals, shouldn't they be building chakra to release to use the Jutsu? Why don't I sense him building up chakra? Or, is it that he has such little chakra that I can't sense it? It could be that he's not going to use a Jutsu at all and he's just doing a seal to intimidate us... That's what I think anyway.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized. He started sheepishly scratching his head. "I've got an Orientation."

"Orientation?" Konohamaru asked, blinking.

"That's right. As of today, I'm a ninja. Believe it," Naruto said, pointing to his forehead protector. Konohamaru gasped while Naruto grinned. I sighed, looking up at the sky. I wonder... I wonder how everyone else looks in real life... There's an interesting thought.

_~At The Hokage's Office~_

"Lord Hokage," an ANBU greeted his leader as he Body Flickered into the office. The Hokage wasn't bothered by the sudden appearance at all, but he did wonder what the ANBU member wanted. If he remembered correctly, this was the ANBU that was ordered to watch over Naruto.

"What's the matter?" The Hokage asked. "And make it quick. I have a meeting to attend to," he added. It wasn't really a meeting, but he did have to assign the Jonin their new students.

The ANBU member nodded. "There is a strange-looking boy with Naruto. Actually, I have the feeling he's living with Naruto," he explained. "From what I know, he hasn't met Naruto at all. My assumption is they met yesterday night while I wasn't on duty, but that doesn't explain why he was in the other's boy's apartment so early."

"That's strange indeed," the Hokage said slowly after a while. "But maybe Naruto invited him to come over... I'm sure the boy would jump at a chance to have a friend. I wonder who's the other boy's parents to let him play with Naruto, though?" He mused, but then looked back at the ANBU. "Is that all?"

"No, sir," the ANBU shook his head. "I would never waste your time with just that. The boy did something else. He was able to sense my presence somehow."

The Hokage's eyes widened. "He was? Were you flaunting your chakra?"

"No, sir. It wasn't completely hidden, but not most Chunin would have been able to sense me," he answered. "The kid looked no older than 13, and I couldn't see a Hidden Leaf forehead protector anywhere on his body."

"...That's unnerving," the Hokage said, standing up from his desk. "You don't recognize him, right?"

"No, sir. I checked all of the files on every person in the village and didn't see him."

It didn't help that this ANBU was the village's fastest reader.

"So, we could have a high level Chunin or a Jonin using the Transformation Jutsu to get to Naruto and harm him," the Hokage analysised. "Maybe it's Mizuki..."

"Lord Hokage," the ANBU started. "I saw no use of the Transformation Jutsu being used." The Hokage's eyes widened.

"That makes it **worse!**" The Hokage boomed. "That means this person must be a prodigy from another village sent to assassinate the Jinchuuriki, or maybe he's here to _kill_ him! You should have captured him instantly!" He yelled. "Where are they now?!"

"...I believe they went to the Orientation, sir," The ANBU mumbled, now looking down. He wasn't able of putting the pieces together fast enough, and he was ashamed. The Hokage was enraged.

"...Tell Ibiki to get ready. And also Inoichi, just in case," the Hokage ordered darkly. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt Naruto. Especially on his big day."

"Yes, Lord Hokage," and with that he was gone. The Hokage strided to the crystal ball room. The Jonin were already gathered there, but he wasn't there for them. He needed to get a good look of who this person was. The person that would be dead by the end of the day.

_**Author's Note: Ah, the mystifying works of misunderstandings. It seems like Jalen's in trouble. And isn't the Hokage a bit more ruthless than normal? Whatever... This is NINJAS!**_

_**...**_

_**Uh... Read and Review? **_


	3. Chaos In The Classroom

_**Author's Note: What up, peeps?! How's it going? I hope everyone of you is having a good day. I sure am... I think... Right now I am... I guess... Anyway! I'm going to ask my "faithful" fans a question every chapter! Do you like? **_

_**...**_

_**That wasn't the question, alright? x) Am I always derpy doing these Author's notes? That wasn't the question either...**_

_**Question of the Day: Who is your favorite Naruto character? Who is your least favorite? Give a reason for both, please! **_

_**My Answer: My favorite Naruto character is the Mizukage: Yagura! His voice is so awesome, and it's awesome how he fights with his staff! My least favorite is Kiba... He is just so damn arrogant and annoying and (in my mind, I think) perverted! Gah! I hate him so much...**_

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" the unreal one? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Naruto and Sakura would totally hook up! **_

**Grey**** Eyes**

_Chapter 3_

"Hehehe," Naruto was ecstatic about finally becoming a ninja. "This is the classroom, Jalen," he said before going into another fit of giggles. We finally abandoned Konohamaru and here we are, sitting in the Academy. Naruto had his head down, still grinning and giggling while I curiously looked around. I don't really see anyone who looks out of the ordinary... Most of these people are just random characters who I have no interest in.

"Isn't this cool, Jalen? Isn't this cool?" Naruto asks me. I just nod, my grey eyes blinking before doing so. I really don't want to be here, so it's not really cool to me. I guess I can suck it up and try to smile...

I really was interested in studying everyone's chakra, though. I've noticed the chakra sometimes go with how the person is feeling, or the nature of the person. Although, the boy sitting beside me seems... Depressed. Mad, even. He does have a pretty cool hairstyle, though.

I guess he noticed me staring at him, because he glared at me. I glared back, before turning away, already not liking this random bastard. Even when I turned away, though, I still felt his eyes on me. Am I supposed to turn back and glare at him just because he's looking at me? He must have hemorrhoids, or something.

"Huh? What are you doing here, Naruto?" Some random person asked. Naruto and I both looked up to see a boy with a black, spiky ponytail. He's wearing a small, grey jacket over his fishnet shirt. He has on long, black pants and blue sandals, and his ninja headband was tied to his arm.

Definitely Shikamaru. I know this because he's my third favorite character! I'd know him anywhere; animated or real!

"This isn't for dropouts. You can't be here unless you graduated," Shikamaru continued.

"Oh, yeah? Do you see this? Do you see this? Open your eyes, Shikamaru, it's a regulation headband," Naruto said while pointing to his _regulation headband. _His cheshire cat grin was glued on his face all the while. "We're going to be training together. How do you like that?"

Actually, you won't. You'll be put on a team with your rival, Sasuke and your crush, Sakura. You will be training under Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin of the village. And... Yeah...

But I can't say these things, can I?

"Let me put it to you this way," Naruto continued, seeing Shikamaru's unbelieving face. "I look great in this head gear, like it was made for me. Believe it! Hahahaha!"

Shikamaru yawned, probably finding Naruto to be a drag, and turned to me. I blinked while he, unsurprisingly, stared at my eyes. "You don't have a headband. Actually, I don't remember ever seeing you here. Who are you?"

Before I could speak, like a normal person, Naruto, unlike a normal person, exclaimed, "This guy here's Jalen. Jalen, this is Shikamaru. Jalen's my brother. Believe it!"

He just has to add that I'm his brother...

"Naruto? You don't have a brother," Shikamaru said in his I-Know-Everything tone. "Everyone knows that." So it's his Everyone-Knows-That tone, my bad.

Before Naruto could talk this time, I said, "I'm his long lost brother." Yeah, I know. That was the stupidest excuse ever. I actually feel dumber saying it. Shikamaru didn't look like he believed me, but I guess he found it too troublesome to question me more.

Instead, he said, "You still don't have a headband, meaning you didn't graduate. This is for people who graduated, so even _if _you're Naruto's brother, it doesn't make you legible to be here."

Oh, my God... Why is he so hung up over this? It's not like he's going to get in trouble for me being here. Just... **Shut up!**

"Listen, Shikamaru," I sighed. "It's alright. I'm just here to observe, so you can go interrogate someone else. To be blunt, you're annoying me."

Naruto looked at me like a curious little boy and Shikamaru just opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but thought against it and just scowled at me. I frowned as he mumbled something and walked away. I feel kinda bad for saying that, but I wasn't in the best mood. He's making me not like him as much as I used to...

Suddenly, two girls ran into the room at the same time and struggled through the door. They were fighting to see who got in first. After a while, they both squeezed through at the same time and yelled, "I'm first!"

The girl on the left had long, pink hair and her ninja headband acted like a sort of bow. She wore a red dress with sleeves and the dress was cut up on both sides, showing her thighs. The girl on the right had on a small purple shirt that stopped at her stomach. To hide the otherwise shown skin were bandages. Her ninja headband was on her waist like a belt. She has a long, blonde ponytail. Both have on blue sandals, like everyone else I know...

Definitely Sakura and Ino.

"I won again, Sakura," Ino said while panting.

"Give it up," Sakura replied, also panting. "I had to look back to see you! My toe was at least a tenth of an inch ahead."

How can you tell that your toe was a _tenth of an inch_ ahead? Sakura... You... Just stop talking.

"Have you always been this delusional?" Ino smirked, and that started the battle of insults. It's pretty funny watching them... Naruto must think the same thing because he's smiling like an idiot with an obvious blush on hi- Oh, yeah. Almost forgot that he liked Sakura. I feel like he just gave up on her halfway during Shippuden!

Sakura suddenly turned and looked at us, making Naruto and I awkwardly turn away. For two completely different reasons, mind you.

"Hey! Woah! Where're you going?" Ino asked as Sakura suddenly bolted towards us. Or... Sasuke. But Sasuke isn't... Oh, the boy beside me is Sasuke.

...

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY MEMORY LATELY?! UGH!

"Hi, Sakura! What's up?" Naruto greeted, standing up from his seat and waving.

"Move it!" Sakura demanded, pushing Naruto out the way and onto the ground. That... Was rude. And mean. And... Uh, what's that word? Oh, yeah... Bitchy.

Sakura glared at me, silently telling me to get up. I glared back at her, silently telling her something that I can't type because this is T Rated.

Sakura knew her eyes wouldn't help her win this battle. "Get up," she demanded. I scoffed, turning away from the bitch and thinking of better, more **useful** things. "Did you hear me? I said, **get up!**"

"_Please_, Harpy Number 1," I turned to her, and she fliched. I _wonder_ why? "You don't know me, and I don't know you. Don't talk to me like I'm your dog, 'cause she's at your house cooking dinner."

Sakura didn't get it at first, I can tell. Her mouth hung slightly open in confusion. But then her nose scrunched up in anger and she started yelling stuff so fast I couldn't understand her. Naruto got up from the ground and scratched his head in confusion, totally not getting it. And before Sakura could do anything other than yell (Impossible!), Ino ran up to us.

Oh, no... Harpy Number 2...

But, she's not on my hate list like Sakura. She _is_ a little useful since Sasuke isn't on her team, so she won't get distracted. And it kinda helps that she's a little cute... Not that I'd tap dat!

...

Did I really just think that?

"Back off, Forehead! I'm sitting next to Sasuke," she said, grabbing Sakura's arm. Sakura scowled at her.

"I was here first!" Sakura yelled quietly so Sasuke wouldn't hear.

"I walked into the classroom before you did! Everybody saw it!" Ino yelled, not caring if Sasuke heard or not.

"Dream on," Sakura scoffed, completely focused on arguing with Ino now. See? Ino's useful! She effectively got that banshee's attention off of me. So, while they argue, I can observe how everyone's chakra feels, in **peace**.

"Actually, I got here before either of you!" Some random fan girl yelled.

"So did I. I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" Another yells.

"No, _I_ am!"

"And there goes Harpy 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9..."

And with that, mostly every girl in the classroom starts to spazz out and the class is filled with "I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" and "No, he would much rather want to sit with me!" It's pretty annoying, and I can hardly hear myself think! Why can't they all just shut up?!

~In The Hokage's Crystal Ball Room~

The Hokage was sitting on a huge purple couch, a desk with papers and a crystal ball in front of him. Jonin such as Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma were around him, and Chunin such as Kotetsu, Izumo and a couple of more were also surrounding the Hokage. They were all looking into the crystal ball that had a good view of what was going on in the academy.

"Do any of you recognize him?" The Hokage asked. No one said anything, but the looks on their faces all meant they didn't know the blue haired boy.

"That Naruto boy said they were brothers earlier," Kurenai said, and the Hokage nodded. "But, it's painfully obvious they aren't. Especially because of-"

"Don't talk about that moment, Kurenai. It's forbidden, remember," Asuma reminded. She nodded, but she didn't know why since she supposed everyone in here knew about it.

"His clothes are pretty scraggly-looking," Kakashi noted. "And he has a huge scar on his face. It looks like he came from far away... Probably The Hidden Cloud Village."

"Yes, yes," the Hokage nodded, looking tired. "But, I just don't understand why he wouldn't hide that scar and why he wouldn't attack one of our ninja for a headband. It'll at least make him look a little not suspicious..."

"...Maybe he's not here to assassinate or kidnap Naruto," Asuma suggested. "He's not giving any of the signs, even in a classroom with kids who wouldn't know the signs." The Hokage nodded thoughtfully. "And if he met and spent the night over Naruto's house, why didn't he make a move then? This just doesn't make any sense."

"Exactly," the Hokage nodded. "But he still somehow infiltrated our village. I'm not going to torture information out of him, but I'm going to have Inoichi go through his thoughts just in case," he looked up at the Kotetsu, who stiffened under his gaze. "Kotetsu, go tell Ibiki that I said to abort the mission. And tell Inoichi to get ready," his gaze then landed on Izumo. "Go and bring the boy to the Interrogation Room."

"Yes, sir!" They both saluted and then Body Flickered away, both to different locations.

~In The Academy Room~

I'm having... I'm having a bad premonition right now...

Oh, well! It's best to ignore things like that. If the Anime goes by regularly, I should be perfectly safe. If only these harpys would just shut up...

Suddenly, a purple ball rolled in front of Sakura. They all stopped arguing for a moment, looking at the ball. I looked down as well, blinking at how random that was. Who just rolls a ball in front of a bunch of raging girls? That's... Somewhat perverted.

Sakura fell to the ground. Then another random girl. Then Ino. Then another, and another, and another.

...Okay..?

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, bending down and shaking her. That's the only one you care about, huh?

**Thump! **

I nervously turned around and saw Sasuke, his eyes closed and his head on the desk as if he was sleeping. That's not weird at all...

**Thump! **

**Thump! **

**Thump! **

A lot of people were knocked out now! The few that weren't knocked out were desperately fighting the sleep! But they soon succumbed to the peaceful darkness. I jumped out of my seat, desperately looking around for what's causing this. Naruto was, too, dropping Sakura to the ground and standing beside me.

"H-Hey, Jalen? What's going on?!" Naruto asked.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out!" I replied. This _definitely_ didn't happen in the anime... I'm kind of scared...

That nagging pull... It's happening more violently, but it doesn't hurt! It's trying to desperately warn me, I think! But, for what?!

It's telling me to look at the door, so that's what I do. It was just opened... Meani-

"Ah!" Naruto screams, falling to the floor. He was unmoving, twitching a bit here and there. I nervously looked up, and their was a man standing over him. He was rubbing his hand, presumably the hand that he hit Naruto with.

"I guess the Nine Tail's helped him against that poison," the man mumbled, looking up at me. I cowered under his gaze, stumbling back. Who is this guy?! Why is he attacking the academy?! What poison is he talking about?! And why wasn't I affected?!

God, I have so many questions! But they might get unanswered... Because he's walking towards me now!

"I'm interested that the poison didn't affect you. I wonder why?" He took another threatening step, slipping out a kunai from his holster on the side of his leg. "Come on, fight. You've been found out, so you're going to die either way," he said, making my heart stop. I-I've been found out? They know I'm not from this world? And why would they kill me for that?!

"You should at least die like a ninja and fight me. Who knows? Maybe you'll kill _me_ and escape?" He chuckled. "I'm only a Chunin, after all," he flicked his hand and two more kunai appeared in it. It was like a magic trick!

And what is he talking about?! This is too scary... Too confusing...

I take another step back. He takes two more steps forward. I take two more steps back. He takes three more steps forward! I'm gonna die... I don't wanna die!

I stumbled over a sleeping body and fell on my butt. I eyed the kunai sticking out of the fallen boy's holster and snatched it, standing back up and holding it up defensively. As defensively as someone with no experience could...

"Who are you?!" I demanded. He was giving me a bored but perplexed look as he kept slowly walking towards me. "Why is everyone asleep?! Why did you do that to Naruto?! Why are you attacking me?!"

"I told you I'm a Chunin," he said as if it was the most obvious thing. "Better yet, I'm a new Chunin! Isn't that lucky?" He asked as if he was tempting me. This guy is both scaring the shit out of me _and_ pissing me off. "Everyone's sleeping because I poisoned them all. Remember that ball that was thrown in front of that group of girls? It was secretly pouring out invisible poison air, only the most talented of ninja would have noticed. I knocked that kid out because he wasn't falling asleep fast enough. And I'm attacking you, well, you should know that. My question to you, though, is why you aren't fighting me? The jig is up, so stop faking and **fight me!**"

He sped up and slashed my arm, making me close my eyes and scream in pain! I fell to the ground and dropped the kunai, grabbing my bleeding arm. Why... Why is he doing this?! What is he even talking about?!

I felt tears run down my cheek like racecars, and my back was pressed against the wall. I screamed and cried in pain and confusion.

"Leave me alone! I didn't do anything wrong! Leave me alone... Leave me alone!" I sobbed, watching wide eyed as he bent down and pressed the kunai to my neck.

He stared me straight in the eyes and said, "You're a danger to Konoha and it's res-"

I felt my eyes sting in excruciating pain. As soon as it happened, all the energy inside me went away. I later noticed this was my chakra going away. All the way down to the very last drop. The ninja widened his eyes and gasped before he stiffened up. He didn't move at all... He was just staring at me, I don't even think he was breathing.

This, however, frightened me to the point of pure terror. I didn't know _what_ was going on! I just screamed, "_**LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY!**_"

The ninja stood up, turned around, and awkwardly walked away. He opened the door to the classroom and walked out, not even closing it behind him. I blinked. I felt like my eyes were on fire. My arm was still bleeding... And it hurt so much... I fell to the ground sideways and watched as the classroom got blurry.

_What's... Going on..? _I thought. And with that I blacked out.

_**Author's Note: Hm? I feel... Nice. On storys like this it's so easy to bash Sakura. Anyway, what happened?! How did all hell just break loose in a couple of seconds?! What did Jalen do?! Stay tuned... And you'll find out. I guess... Maybe...**_

_**And remember! Make sure to answer the question of the day! Read and Review!**_


	4. Jalen's Past

_**Author's Note: This chapter will show you all how disturbed I am. :-[ Uh, anyway... This is going to be Jalen's "past." This chapter will shape his personality for a bit of the story, until he gets comfortable in the Naruto world. And THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED AND FAVORITED AND FOLLOWED THIS STORY! I was kinda worried that this story wouldn't be... Good. Or something like that. Thank you everyone! **_

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, it wouldn't be a kid's show. :|**_

**Grey**** Eyes**

_Chapter 4_

_"Don't be scared," a boy with light blue hair said, tying a younger boy to the table. "I'm just going to insert a fluid inside you."_

_They were in what looked like a hospital room, but the air wasn't as comforting. The walls and ceiling and floor were all colored grey. A dirty yellow light was the only thing keeping the younger boy from losing his mind. He was still thrashing and crying uncontrollably, but he wasn't going crazy. _

_The blue haired boy commended the younger one on surviving for so long, but he also warned that this procedure had a 50% chance of him dying. __**That's**__ what made him cry and thrash and scream that he untie him. _

_He didn't. He just hummed as he stuck a needle straight in the boy's eyes, sneering at the pathetic state he was in. All the boy had to do was jerk his head up and he'd die. All the other boy had to do was shove harder into the eye socket and he'd die. It would be painfully simple._

_"Why..?" the younger boy sobbed out. "Why are you..?"_

_"It's for the better, trust me," the blue haired boy replied. "Now don't scream this time, or it'll get real painful real fast," he threatened, hovering over the boy's eye with the needle. The boy just nodded, tears flowing out his eyes like a river. _

_He shoved it in there, grinning maniacally at the boy's expression. His expression of pure __**terror**__! __**Angst**__! He loved it! _

_He took the needle out. Both of the boy's eyes were shut closed, but the clear liquid still ran out. The boy sobbed and sobbed, and it didn't take long for the blood to start running out. _

_**Maybe I stuck too hard, **__the sadistic boy thought with a frown. __**It's a shame, but he'll live...**_

_"Stop crying," he ordered. The boy didn't stop, or more like he couldn't stop. "I told you to stop. I'll have to make you, won't I?"_

_"Please..."_

_"One more time... __**Stop crying!**__"_

_"I... I can't..."_

_"Oh, well then," he laughed. He turned around and grabbed a kunai, eyeing the weapon, testing how sharp it was. He turned back around and smiled. "Why don't we have a little fun before I leave?"_

_The boy didn't respond. He just cried more as he realized what was going to happen. He didn't know if he was blind or not, but he knew he couldn't open his eyes. He just waited in agonizing silence before the kunai pierced his skin._

"Holy shit," Inoichi mumbled. He was currently reading the boy that infiltrated their village's mind. And he didn't like what he was seeing.

After what happened to Izumo, the Hokage was certain that something was up with this boy, but he was also very much more confused. Why would he use a move that could have made him die from chakra loss? Izumo is still recuperating from that move, seeming to be in a coma-like daze...

"What's wrong?" The Hokage asked, seeing the pained expression on both Inoichi and Jalen's face. "Is it bad? Which village did he come from?"

"I can't do this anymore," the blond man sighed, taking his hand away from the boy's head. "We're the wrong ones here, Lord Hokage. He's not here to capture the Jinchuriki or kill him, he's... _You know._"

The Hokage was confused; he didn't know. He also didn't know what was so gruesome that could make Inoichi want to stop... The only ones that could do that to him were...

"What happened?"

"I don't have all the details, but he's a test subject for Orochimaru, or he _was_ a test subject for Orochimaru," Inoichi explained, his voice shaky. "From what I've seen so far, it's a miracle he survived..."

"Oh, my," the Hokage sat down, his head in his hands. "Why didn't I think of that?" he looked up at Inoichi, then at the innocent boy that was knocked out. "How did he get in the village? How did he escape?"

Inoichi sighed. He did not want to go back in this kid's mind. It was pretty... Terrifying. "I didn't get that far, sir. But, before I go back in his mind, let me tell you something that might be important."

The Hokage nodded, still looking at the boy with saddened eyes.

"You know, all of the memories that I've seen of him being tortured by Orochimaru, he didn't have any of those memories," Inoichi started. "It must have been too much for him to handle. I suppose that he blocked them out somehow, or they blocked out by themselves to avoid him getting in a stress coma. This means that when he wakes up, he's going to get all his memories back."

The Hokage nodded. "We'll have to probably get a psychiatrist to check on him, see if he's insane," he said. "Anyway, how did he escape? And how did he get in the village unnoticed?"

Inoichi sighed again, placing his hand on the boy's head. He felt his spirit leave his body and go inside the boy's head. He had to close his eyes for a moment to get himself ready, before opening them and finding himself watching a scene. Hopefully this was the scene that he was looking for; he didn't feel like searching around.

The same boy, now identified as Jalen, was patiently waiting for his chance. He was going to escape soon, he just needed a chance. And it had to be a good chance, or he would die. Orochimaru didn't tolerate people trying to escape. He saw many examples.

But, it was possible this time. Orochimaru often moved from base to base, and Kabuto and Jalen usually followed. Kabuto followed because he was basically Orochimaru's right hand man, and Jalen followed because they called him the _perfect test subject_.

This time, Orochimaru was moving to a base close by Konoha. Jalen winced at the word. They've somehow made it so that whenever someone said "Konoha" or "Hidden Leaf Village" he would automatically use a life threatening Jutsu that puts the enemy into some sort of paralysis. It also allows the user to command something that the enemy is forced to do. It's like a very useful Genjutsu. It _would_ be very useful, if Jalen didn't almost die using it each time.

Jalen would try and escape before they leave, because he knew Orochimaru got a lot of rest before moving. However, something unexpected was going to happen...

Inoichi yawned at what was happening. All the boy was doing was sitting down in some jail cell. Maybe this was the wrong one...

Suddenly, someone opened the door to the cell, revealing the same blue haired boy that Inoichi saw earlier. _He must really be sadistic,_ he thought.

Jalen tensed at the arrival of his _friend_. Kabuto saw it, and he would usually sneer, but today was important.

Jalen knew he was being fed more often for something, but he didn't expect Kabuto to say, "Okay, scum. Before we leave tomorrow, Orochimaru's holding a festival of sorts. You'll be fighting. If you don't die, Orochimaru will give you immense power and you'll be apart of the Sound 4. I'll be back in five minutes, so get ready." Almost as soon as he came in he was gone, but not before mumbling, "And don't die."

Jalen was surprised by the warning and by the mumble. He wanted to think Kabuto really cared for him, but he knew that he just didn't want to lose his best test subject. It was still a little reassuring, but everyone knows ignorance is bliss. He would have felt a whole lot better if he didn't know. Therefore, those five minutes were absolutely torturous.

Inoichi didn't feel like watching five minutes of nothing, so he skipped about 10 minutes ahead. He was now at a scene where Orochimaru was sitting in what looked like a sort of throne. Below him were about 100 _test subjects_, all fighting and killing each other. Kabuto stood by Orochimaru, both of them watching the absolute destruction with a hint of amusement.

Jalen was right in the middle of the destruction, killing as many people as he could. He was only ten after all,

The older men were way taller than Jalen, so they hardly noticed he was there. It was when he stuck the kunai in their groin they realized the blue haired menace. Inoichi winced at the sight, but kept watching as he took them out in many different, _cheap_ ways. But, there was no such thing as cheap in the ninja world. You won at any cost; kill or be killed. Jalen knew this well, so it didn't take long for him to adapt to killing person after person.

He refrained from using his eye ability, since just one use would exhaust him and he would be a sitting duck. He just slashed and killed like it was nothing, but to the trained eye, one could see the hint of sadness in his face. The cringe of seeing the mens' loud faces as they died in front of him.

He avoided the weird looking people, such as the red haired girl with the flute and the boy with two more sets of hands on his back. Blood was everywhere, and there wasn't a moment of silence.

Suddenly, Jalen slid by man after man, heading to the side of the room. Sure, that should have been the smart thing to do, because ninja didn't need other ninja behind them, but Jalen didn't want to kill anymore. He had tears in his eyes as he stepped on a man's decapitated head.

He was heading to the exit, but there was a heavily armored guard with a weapon standing in front of the door. Jalen thought about the chance of escape, it wasn't good. He _could_ use his eye ability to get through the guard, but then he'd have no chance of getting any further, and he'd be executed.

Suddenly, a man was pushed at the guard, who killed the man on impact, sticking his spear through the man's chest. That made a few men mad, so they attacked the guard. The guard was fighting for his life now, so he was unconsciously moving away from the door. Jalen gulped and weighed his options.

Stay here and be a prisoner for Orochimaru forever, or try and at least touch freedom? He chose the latter. He ran pass the guard so fast it looked like a trick of the eye, but Kabuto and Orochimaru saw. Orochimaru chuckled, before ordering Kabuto to stop and execute him.

Jalen ran as fast as his legs would allow, but he made sure to not use any chakra, just in case there was some other guard. He sprinted through the halls and turned corners, using his unique ability to automatically sense chakra to his advantage. He could see which halls had guards on them and which didn't. Most of the guards were slacking off; the thought of someone trying to escape being preposterous to them.

Jalen saw the exit, or rather, he sensed the outside world. There was chakra in the air, _oh, sweet chakra._ He turned another corner and jumped on the lone guard, quickly but efficiently breaking his neck. The guard didn't make a sound as he embraced death gracefully. He didn't have a good night's sleep last night.

Jalen almost jumped for joy when he made it outside, breathing in the sweet chakra filled air. His dirty feet tingling as they touched the grass. He didn't jump because he sensed someone ahead of him... The _sadistic_, _creepy_ chakra that promised **pain**. The one boy who _hurt_ him on a **daily** basis... The one who gave him _the_ **giant scar on his cheek!** Kabuto! It's always **Kabuto! **

Jalen was more than exasperated... There wasn't a word that could describe the fury he felt when he saw Kabuto smirking at him! There was always the usual fear, but he was so used to that feeling that he dismissed the whole world as scary. He wanted to cry in rage!

"Where are you going?" Kabuto asked in that condescending tone he always held. "You can't possibly be trying to escape, little cute test subject."

"Please, Kabuto," Jalen begged. His voice was painfully hoarse, the only time he ever used it was to cry. "Just let me go... I just want to go to Konoha," he continued, somehow wishing his eyes would activate and he could beat Kabuto. Luck was not on his side, it seemed, because it wouldn't activate if he said it himself. Someone else had to say it... They had to say the word that would cause their death.

Kabuto sneered, seeing the troubled expression on the younger boy's face. He wasn't stupid enough to say it, so this battle would be over before he knew it. Although, he _did_ want to play around a bit. He hardly got the exercise he needed with Orochimaru, so he sometimes needed to go to Konoha himself. He was on training leave, so they never suspected he would be helping in it's destruction.

"Are you that dumb? You make me want to vomit sometimes, you know?" Kabuto said. "That village wouldn't want a rat like you." Jalen winced at the harshness in Kabuto's tone, but he stood his ground, a weak glare planted on his face.

"...You're going to kill me now, right?" Jalen asked. He wasn't entirely asking, though, he was really just making sure. That meant he had nothing to lose, so he could fight Kabuto with all he had.

Kabuto didn't answer. He just charged at Jalen, his hand glowing with chakra. _Deadly chakra, _Jalen thought, arming himself with a kunai in each hand. Kabuto acted as if the kunai wasn't there and slashed at Jalen, his chakra having changed to have a sharp edge at the end.

There was one thing about chakra to Jalen; it hurt. For some reason, he was highly sensitive to the energy. He could feel the chakra all through the air, and if he noticed it for too long it would start to "choke" him. Every time he used a Jutsu he could feel the chakra tickling through his body. It becomes irritating after a while, if he spent too much time noticing it. And the last thing, the thing that Kabuto fully knew, was that if some other chakra force mixed in with his... If some other chakra passed through his body and hit, per se, his own chakra... It feels excruciatingly terrible.

And that's exactly what Kabuto was trying to do.

Jalen jumped back at the last moment, throwing each kunai straight at Kabuto's neck. Kabuto easily side stepped and rushed Jalen again, slashing at his chest. Jalen couldn't dodge this one and brought another kunai up to block. The kunai was cut cleanly in half, and a long cut was situated on his chest.

That's all it was, though; a cut. The kunai saved him from a gash in his chest, but it wouldn't work again. Jalen had to do something else.

_I can't let him touch me, _Jalen thought as he jumped back again. _What will I do?_ He brought his head back to avoid decapitation and jumped to the side to avoid a broken rib. Kabuto sneered as he lashed out at Jalen, aiming for his primary parts. He wanted to have fun, but he couldn't mess up. He would make sure the boy was unable to run, and then he'd play a little.

_If he'd just stop moving, _Kabuto thought bitterly, bringing his hand up. Jalen followed the hand with his eyes and rolled to the side as Kabuto furiously brought it down. Jalen rolled back on his knees and swiftly started a set of seals, a drop of sweat falling from his face as Kabuto glared at him.

_Ram, boar, ox, dog, snake! _Jalen finished the seals and nervously smirked as he quickly looked around his surroundings. They were fighting right in front of the "hidden" base, but they were also in a forest. Perfect.

"Substitution Jutsu," Jalen mumbled as Kabuto was about to kick him in the face. He felt the tip of his shoe on his nose, but that was all until he couldn't breath. He felt like he was shrinking, like he was being squeezed to death. Then darkness.

All of this happened in less than a second. Kabuto's foot collided with a log and Jalen was a few feet away from him. Kabuto's eyes widened as he swiftly turned around and saw Jalen running for his life.

"How pathetic," he mumbled. Kabuto was easily faster than Jalen, so in the blink of an eye he was right in front of the boy. Kabuto brought his foot up and kicked him straight in the face, knocking him back a few feet towards the base.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you leave here alive?" Kabuto asked. He then started to laugh, bringing his head back as he clutched his stomach. Jalen groaned as he got up from the ground, spitting out some blood. He thought of running while he was laughing, but that's probably what Kabuto wanted. He needed to play his cards safe... But what could he do? Sure, he could do a few Jutsu, but then he'll be wasting chakra. And even if he's very sensitive to it, that doesn't mean he has a lot of it.

Inoichi got bored quickly, so he fast forwarded. Ninja battles aren't supposed to last long, and it's painfully obvious Kabuto is just playing with Jalen. He knew Jalen got away somehow, since he's here... But he still needs to see _how_.

So he went ahead through the memories and was now at a scene with Jalen panting on the ground, cuts and bruises all over him. Kabuto was standing over him, a smug smirk on his face and glasses shining in the light.

_Damn... It..._ Jalen thought while looking at Kabuto's feet. He knew the latter was smirking, what's the point of seeing it? He was going to die here anyway...

"Are you tired?" Kabuto teased, giving a sharp kick to Jalen's ribs. Jalen yelped in pain, but didn't scream. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction... He would die with at least a bit of honor. But, when you think about it, what is honor? And how do you get killed with it? You don't die with honor... No matter what those villages say. You live... And then you may get honor. But dying in battle _for your village?_ That's really the dumbest thing ever...

"You really piss me off!" Kabuto suddenly screamed, kicking Jalen in the face. "Scum!" Another kick. "Changeling!" Another. "Troglodyte!" Another. "Stupid piece of **shit!**"

That's what happened for about 5 minutes. Kabuto yelling and kicking and Jalen taking the pain with tears in his eyes. Suddenly, a few guards came out the base, each equipped with a spear and each with a face that showed they were worried.

"Lord Kabuto! Are you alright?!" One of them asked. Kabuto looked up and glared at them before kicking the boy on the ground aside and walking towards them.

"How did this prisoner get past you guards?" He asked. He thought about killing each of them, but thought against it. "Never mind that... Get rid of him. And by that I mean kill him."

Jalen's heart rose. He didn't know if he could kill all of them, but it was a whole lot better than being killed by _Kabuto_! He still kept his position on the ground, just in case Kabuto turns around and sees that he's not entirely down yet.

"Yes!" They all said simultaneously. Kabuto gave one last quick glance at Jalen before turning around and walking back in the base. They were all still saluting even after he left, but the one in the middle stopped first, turning back to sneer at Jalen.

"Well, what do we have here?" He started, walking up towards the boy. He was obviously bored, otherwise he would have attacked immediately. Jalen grew tense fast, looking up at them with pleading eyes.

"P-Please spare me," Jalen begged, thinking of a plan in his mind already. There was only one thing that came to mind, but he was wary about doing it. "I just want to go... To go..."

He paused. What was waiting for him in Konoha? It's not like he's important or anything... Is it really all that safe anyway? There's no real reason for him to go there! But... Something's there for him... He could practically _taste_ it.

"I want to go to Konoha," he finally said, saying the last word with a type of hinting tone. He wanted them to say Konoha... He prayed they would say Konoha. If they did... He could kill them all, or make them kill themselves, but he wasn't _that_ advanced in that yet. Then he could escape to the largest chakra signals; the place with the most chakra present. The Hidden Village.

"Konoha? Th-" That was all it took. It's amazing how three syllables could lead to a person's death. It was slightly amusing, and also slightly dark. It wasn't in his control, though... _Kill or be killed._

The four guards couldn't talk, move, or even blink. They could thankfully breath, but that was useless in front of a ninja. Or as close to a ninja as possible in Orochimaru's care. They could only stare at the now blazing red eyes that seemed to pierce through their chests.

Jalen's chakra went away faster than their chances of living. He was using pure muscle and strength to stand up, but it was excruciatingly painful. He would survive, though... He would make it out of this alive!

"...**Stab yourselves in the neck**," he mumbled loud enough for them to hear. They didn't do anything at first... They just stared back at him with terror present in their frozen eyes.

Suddenly, the one in the front turned his spear towards himself almost mechanically and stabbed straight through his Adams apple.

Inoichi winced at the grotesque scene, but it wasn't over. Crimson liquid poured out of his throat and mouth like a Water Jutsu was being used. He fell over, his face pale and his eyes glossy. That seemed to finally activate the Jutsu and they all started to stab themselves in the throat. Blood was everywhere. The flies were imminent to arrive. And before anyone noticed what happened, Jalen was gone!

_ミ 彡 __After That! __ミ 彡_

"Well, Inoichi? Spit it out. What happened?" The Hokage asked when Inoichi placed his hand off of the boy's head.

He gave the older man a solemn look. "Sir... After all that's happened... He simply limped through the front gates during a time where there were a lot of visitors. And he's been living alone on the streets for about two years..."

The Hokage was astonished at the other man's attitude! Was it really that bad? "Give me exact details on what happened, Inoichi," he ordered after a while.

He shook his head. "With all the information I've gathered here... I could write you a book."

**ミ 彡 ****To Be Continued! ****ミ 彡**

_**Author's Note: Gawd... I am not impressed with my fighting scenes... But what can ya do? ╮(╯_╰)╭ You guys probably noticed but I got really lazy at the end of this chapter because I just could NOT get it exactly how I WANTED! But, who cares? I hope you guys enjoy it anyway. I just... Slaved over this chapter...**_

_**Read and Review! Bye nii~!**_


	5. Ninja and Their Busy Schedule

_**Author's Note: Hallo EVERYONE! I hope this chapter meets you all in good health! Anyway, on to pressing matters. **__**＠**__**(**____**-**____**)**__**＠**_

_**Naruto officially became a Genin on February 15 (Sorry if I'm wrong) and it takes six months until the Chunin Exams starting July 1st... They only show one mission (Rescue Tora the Cat) before the Waves Mission and a few unimportant ones (Weed Picking... Trash Collecting... Dog Walking) before the Chunin Exams. I predict that the Waves mission will happen sometime during March and finish sometime during April. I just needed to write all this down, alright? And... Yeah. Anyway, enjoy? **_

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did... There will be that one Yandere in the show that loves Naruto. ╮(╯▽╰)╭**_

**Grey Eyes **

Chapter 5

I really hate the world. Or rather, I hate this world. For all of you who doesn't know, I was unfairly placed in the Naruto Universe with false memories. Yes. _False_.

Let me get more on that subject. What kind of sick person would put someone in a fake world with some other hapless guy's memories? There's so many questions I have, but **none** of them will get answered! Who is the person that I've inhabited? Why did he have the same name as me? Why am I in this world in the first place? How or will I get back? _**And why can't I remember anything from my past?!**_

I ask myself these questions every day... And I don't expect on getting an answer anytime soon. It makes me wanna cry sometimes, you know? The only thing I can remember is my mom's first name... I'll never forget that. Just in case I do forget, though, I wrote it down on a piece of paper that I always carry with me. And the second thing that makes me want to cry is the memories. I have so many horrible memories of being tortured and tested on and... And of killing.

I've killed... Plenty of times at that. From what I presume, the person who put me in this world didn't want me to worry about killing, so he gave me these _falsified_ memories of doing it already. It just hurts... That someone could be so cruel and do these things to me...

The first time I woke up from being attacked from that ninja - who I now know was actually a Hidden Leaf Chunin intent on capturing me - I blacked out almost instantly. I didn't even get a chance to see where I was... I was just bombarded with those _phoney, pestiferous, _and_ unspeakable_ memories! I was out like a light, but the memories kept coming... In the form of nightmares.

I now have a phobia of hospitals, sharp objects (pointed at me), snakes, chakra, and people with a Kabuto-complex. The hospitals and sharp object part should be obvious... I was being _**tested**_ on! I'm more terrified of Orochimaru than I am of snakes. I just can't be sure they aren't the same. I'm both terrified and hateful of Kabuto... But let me explain chakra.

There are two things keeping me up at night: Nightmares and chakra. There's chakra all around and through the air. I don't notice it all the time, but the consequences are dire if I do. If I don't put it at the back of my mind and forget about it, I feel myself breathing in all the chakra and I feel like I'm choking. And just the thought of choking is enough to make you more terrified and choke more!

I'm not actually choking, since chakra is just energy... But it's just a terrifying thing to think you're choking and end up hyperventilating. .

There's one good thing out of this, though. After that bastard Inoichi practically mind-raped me, they brought Kabuto under custody. Can you believe that bastard was actually living in this village all peacefully and stuff?! That's just... That's just so fucking stupid it makes me want to vomit a pool of blood!

I have my doubts about that, though... What if Kabuto escapes and comes after me? They promised that they wouldn't tell him how they found out... But, still... It's unnerving to have someone who wants to kill you be in the same village as you. Even though I'm practically living with a bunch of trained killers.

When I woke up the second time after being attacked and mind-raped... I stayed up a bit longer. I was in a hospital. I obviously screamed in terror, because I was just having a very realistic dream of getting ready to have a needle stuck into my eye. The nurse came in and tried to calm me down, but that just made me more nervous. I didn't know why I was in there, and I didn't know which world I was in and it just all went to hell when I started choking on chakra.

The only one that could ever calm me down was Naruto... His chakra is really the best thing ever, you know? I grew really dependant on being around him, but I'll tell you all that for later.

Anyway, when Naruto rushed in the hospital room it just had that calming effect. The nurse left after a while of giving me a mini checkup and making sure I was OK. Naruto stayed and told me how worried he was when he woke up. I totally forgot the whole classroom was knocked out, but I wanted to hear what everyone was thinking when they woke up.

Apparently, Iruka lied to them and told them an enemy ninja attacked and I risked my life to save all of them. It was the most bullshit I've ever heard... And the whole class just believed it! Ninja as clueless as these need to get another profession, I swear...

Naruto then started talking about his team and how he hates and loves it at the same time. He loves Sakura but hates Sasuke. I, personally, dislike both of them...

He goes on to talk about his sensei and his Jonin test. That means I've been asleep for about two days. I remember at least that much of the anime, but it's really hard to remember anything else. That just makes me even madder, because now all of my useful memories have been replaced with shit.

He leaves after a while and the stupid Hokage comes in right after him. He asks me how I'm feeling and I tell him I'm fine. As fine as a person who's lost all their memories in the blink of an eye and had them replaced with bad ones. He told me that I showed a lot of ninja-like qualities and asked if I wanted to be a ninja, to which I heartily declined.

There's no way I want to become a ninja. I've killed enough people, and I don't want my life to constantly be in danger. And, as I said earlier, I'm a little scared of chakra. And people that point sharp objects at me.

"I _was_ going to give you an apartment to live in," he said as he turned around. "But the only way you'd be able to pay the rent for it is if you become a ninja." I blinked. I then blinked again.

My own apartment doesn't sound so bad. It's actually perfect! But... I'll have to become a killer to own it... Is that alright? I'm already a killer, according to my memories... And even I know it'll be the most boring thing to just do nothing when I have a good feeling something bad is going to happen. If I just kill bad people who want to kill me or Naruto...

...

I reluctantly agreed to becoming a ninja, to which the Hokage smiled at. He then told me all the good things about being a ninja and stuff, and we finally got to the subject of my eyes.

He said when I was tested on, they fucked with my eyes to use against the village. Therefore, I'm going to need a very strong seal put on me to stop my eyes from doing whatever they do to people. Or I need to learn to control it. I just listened halfheartedly, nodding whenever the time called for it.

He finally got to the end and told me I'll be allowed to leave the hospital after tomorrow. He then left, so I went back to sleep.

And I was out by tomorrow like he said. I was just standing in front of the hospital, expecting someone to come and escort me to the Hokage's office. No one did. I had to find the Academy building again and find the mission room. And there he was, sitting down at his desk with papers just littering it.

"Ah, Jalen. I'm glad you found your way here. Ninja need to have a good sense of direction," the Hokage said with a smile, to which I scowled at. It took me about 30 minutes... "Anyway, on to business. I can't just make you a ninja without testing you. So I have a special guest here to take you under her wing for a while." Really? Why? Who?!

"It took the kid long enough," some lady with extreme purple hair said, stepping up a bit.

She has light brown, pupil-less eyes and violet colored hair, which is styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She's wearing a tan overcoat with a purple in-seam, which has pockets on both sides, and complete with a fitted mesh body suit that stretches from her neck down to her thighs.

I didn't even notice her standing in front of the Hokage. Her chakra made me shiver a bit, but she didn't seem that bad a person. I'll have to be wary around her, though. "My name's Anko Mitarashi. I know Orochimaru... So I at least know how you feel, if only by a little. Don't be committing suicide on me, though, ya hear?!"

I scoffed. This lady is going to get on my nerves... I can tell.

The Hokage tossed me the keys to my apartment and told me Anko is going to escort me there. We left and Anko started talking about the _joys_ of being a ninja and all the killing. That was her favorite part... The killing. I tried to ignore her most of the time, but she talks a **lot**.

Apparently, she's supposed to be a tutor of sorts. Also my therapist. Really, she's a person I could talk about my problems and train with. One, I don't need a therapist. Two, I'm sure she'd kill me if I train with her.

I kinda wanted to ask her how she knew Orochimaru, but I just kept my mouth shut. I don't like talking about being tested on, and I'm sure she doesn't either. I guess... We're kind of the same... In a way. There's something telling me about her, though... Like I should remember her.

After we made it to my apartment and I got use to everything and found out what I needed, she told me that I needed to learn the village inside and out. From my false memories I apparently lived on the street for a long time, so I kind of had an idea of the village, but that didn't work. We spent the first _whole_ day walking around the _entire_ village a bunch of times... Do you know how many dumpling shops there are in this village? A lot... A lot...

She gave me a little bit of money to buy some supplies, too, like a toothbrush and clothes and stuff like that. I trudged back to my house in annoyance and exhaustion. When you've been walking around a village like this for over 10 hours... Taking a lot of dumpling breaks... It makes you want to cry.

The second day with Anko was also tortuous. I was starting to think she was a slave driver. She had me practicing all the hand seals all day. My memories showed me using the Substitution Jutsu, so the seals weren't as tortuous as they would have been... But it was so annoying! She had the _**gal**_ to tell me to go faster, too! I wanted to just _**GRAAAAAAA!**_

Naruto came to my apartment later that night while I was sulking. He looked a little sad.

"What's up, Naruto?" I gave a fake smile. I did want to see him, but I was just at the verge of tears earlier. I couldn't sleep because of the nightmares... And I missed my home dearly.

"I, uh, just wanted to," he paused, looking down. "I said I didn't want to be... Lonely." My eyes widened. I totally forgot about that... I _did_ kind of leave Naruto...

"Naruto..." I started. "I'm... Sorry. The Hokage just gave me an apartment if I became a ninja and... I'm sorry..."

He didn't say or do anything. He just stared at me, his face saddened.

"A-Anyway," I faked a chuckle, scratching the back of my head. "I'm undergoing training to become a ninja, so when I get a break I'll definitely come to your house and we can hang out!" His face brightened up, so I continued. "Actually, when I become a Genin I'll request to be on your team! I'll demand it!"

He had a big smile on his face as he exclaimed, "We'll both demand it! Old man Hokage is sure to let you join!" We both laughed. I swear, his chakra really is calming. I'm not sad at all anymore!

"And remember, don't worry about being alone again," I said with an awkward grin. "We're still brothers! Believe it."

After Naruto left I actually managed to fall asleep calmly. I didn't have any nightmares, and I didn't choke on chakra. It was the first time I fell asleep peacefully in my apartment.

The next day I asked Anko when I would get a break. She told me that my results for the training would be sent to the Hokage on Thursday, February 28th. The training would end on Tuesday, February 26th. Today is Tuesday, February 19th. I went to the Academy with Naruto last Friday, February 15th. I woke up the first time on the same day... And I woke up the second time on Saturday, February 16th. I walked through the village with Anko on Sunday, February 17th... And I practiced my hand seals on Monday, February 18th.

So, that means I can hang out with Naruto next Wednesday, February 27th and maybe Thursday, February 28th, considering if the Hokage wants to see me or not. Man... The life of a ninja is hectic... A life that I hardly want...

Anyway, we practiced chakra control all day today. Chakra is really hard to explain... And no one can really scientifically explain why it happens. I'll try to explain it as easy as I can.

When people are born... That's when chakra is formed inside them. Like DNA. Or rather, it coils around your DNA and veins... Like an extra set of veins! That's a way to say it.

People who can't use chakra can't be ninja because it's extremely painful to activate it. The chakra coils have been wrapped inside of your body weird, so you either get no effect when using it or it hurts. Meaning Ninjutsu will be ineffective and probably kill you.

And as I probably said earlier, I'm extremely sensitive to chakra. I'm not particularly use to using or even having chakra in me! You can guess the difficulties I'm facing...

"You're putting too much chakra in that! Damn, you're pissin' me off!" Anko usually yells at me. It's not my fault, though! It's... So very difficult to explain! I use too much because a lot just goes over there! I don't know why!

Because of that, we had to work on chakra control for a whole 'nother day. I don't care, though... As long as I don't get killed I'll do pretty much anything. Or, well... I'd do a lot. I'm not gonna lie and say I'll do anything because there's a handful of stuff I won't do.

So on Wednesday, February 20th we practiced chakra control again. I actually got better at doing it, so it was worth all of the verbal abuse Anko gives me. At least she pays for us to have a dumpling break every once in a while. Dumplings are really sweet... I actually like them! It's a little better than the ramen that's stocked up in the kitchen drawer in my apartment.

I guess that's how Naruto got a ramen addiction... He lives alone so I doubt he had any money to buy real food. The apartment comes with a shit-load of ramen, so that's all he ate. It's that simple...

On Thursday, February 21st we practiced weaponry. That was the easiest thing to do so far! I can just use a kunai to fight with and throw with shuriken! And I'm pretty good at it! Isn't that amazing?! I'm good at something! We still did it the whole day, though... But I wasn't as exhausted as I usually was. Maybe she was going easy on me that day...

On Friday, February 22nd... We did Taijutsu. And she wasn't going easy on me... I don't _think_ she was! I just know I got my ass kicked to the ground so many times I felt sick. And even when I did throw up she kept training me! I just learned how to evade and block attacks that day. I slept easily that night, but that didn't stop my nightmares.

On Saturday, February 23rd we trained on Taijutsu again. She let me be the aggressor this time and I jumped on the opportunity. I wasn't letting this bitch get off from what she did yesterday! I desperately tried to hit her, but she kept dodging my attacks! I found out her dodging pattern after a while, so she then started to block all my attacks. I was exasperated. Like, really.

It did surprise me how I knew how to fight so well already. I was executing combos like yesterday's **shit**! Did I use that right? Oh, well... Just so you know, all the training sessions went from 12:00pm to 9:00pm. 9 hours everyday!

On Sunday, February 24th we started training and learning E Rank Jutsu. Apparently, training my chakra control and training my Jutsu will ultimately boost up my chakra reserves. The reason I faint every time I use that eye Jutsu or whatever is because I don't have a lot of chakra. If I do this and train, my chakra will slowly, but surely boost up.

First we did the Rope Untying Jutsu. Basically, she tied me up with rope and told me to untie myself using chakra. I couldn't use my hands, I just had to concentrate my chakra out of my body and manipulate the rope. This was _waaay_ harder than it sounds... Believe it. It's still hard to control my chakra, because it basically just goes too fast for me! When I brought the chakra to my back I brought too much. That's a bad thing because I'm wasting chakra and when I get out of the rope I'll just be beat up and tied back down.

It took me a few hours, way more than she expected, for me to untie the rope with a decent amount of chakra. She thought about making me do it again, but thought against it because we had a few more moves to learn.

I started learning the Transformation Jutsu then. We did a little mini training on hand signs before trying out the real Jutsu. I'm basically supposed to do the hand signs, concentrate enough chakra, and practically let it explode inside my body. I would be covered in an explosion of smoke and end up looking like who I wanted to. It's painfully simple and not at the same time.

You have to constantly emit chakra while using the Transformation Jutsu and you have to mentally maintain the form. Those two things are enough to screw me over real fast.

But, using it on an enemy shinobi, I have to look precisely like the person. I even have to copy their speech patterns and everything! If I don't... It could mean my death. But, most ninja don't use this technique in battle... So there might not even be a time where I really need it, but we learned it just to be safe.

I decided to transform into Anko. Let's just say it got perverted really fast. Wrong boob size my _ass! _

I learned the Clone Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu after that. The Clone Jutsu was actually pretty simple, since it's pretty much an illusion. It's basically used to confuse the enemy when attacking... And the Substitution Jutsu...

It just feels so wrong! Just... It feels awfully awkward for a split second. And it kind of confuses you. It does more bad than good for me... But I had to practice it anyway.

When the day was over, I could hardly walk home with my chakra exhaustion... She told me because of all the chakra I used I could have a break tomorrow, and I wanted to use it hanging out with Naruto and seeing what his team has been up to... But...

On Monday, February 25th... I relaxed all day.

I was reluctant to get out the bed on Tuesday, February 26th, but the thought of Anko skinning me alive made me practically jump out the bed. After taking my shower, brushing my teeth, and putting on my clothes I ran over to the dojo we usually train at, not even eating breakfast. That was a mistake...

"You finally made it, brat!" She yelled in her always loud voice... Unless she's being creepy... Or perverted. "I was thinking of going to that nasty apartment of yours and skinning you alive!"

I usually don't respond to her threats, actually... I usually don't respond to her at all. I worry I'm starting to become an introvert, but I'm still very depressed about everything that's going on. And I haven't seen Naruto in a while, so his chakra can't make me happy.

I was unusual today, though. "What are we doing today, Anko-sensei?" I asked, not even flinching at the creepy smirk on her face at being asked that. "What's so amusing? That's a normal question."

"Today is the day you show me everything you learned the pass week!" She said. "I don't want to say survival exam, but that's basically what it is." A... Survival Exam? That's what Naruto told me him and his team did. I wonder..?

"_I hope you ate breakfast,_" she said in that now creepy, low voice of hers. I paled. This is what I get for staying in the bed longer than I was supposed to. It was a trap! She lured me into a false sense of security by giving me a day off, knowing I would relax that whole day! Then, she knew I would be too relaxed to get up on time the next day, missing breakfast! I hate her!

"Of course I did," I lied. She's a ninja; she knows you must see through deception. She was the one who told me that. So she most likely knew I was lying... Whatever.

The _survival exam_ was basically an all-out spar. She would throw some things in that we learned, but it was mostly just fighting. I know that I'm not able to beat a Jonin in a fight... But I can stand my own. I've learned and trained a lot... I won't fail! I'm doing this so Naruto won't be alone..!

"Come at me, kid," she taunted, nonchalantly standing in front of me with her hand on her hip. I charged at her, not saying any word of recognition. When I got close enough she tensed up a little, and I brought my foot up to kick her in the head. She easily grabbed my leg and tossed me on the ground, but not before I threw a kunai at her.

Technically, I'm not supposed to have weapons, but she gave me a weapons holster just for this. I can tell she's been wanting to fight for a while now. I could see the glint in her eyes as she blocked my kunai with her own and rushed me.

I tossed a few shuriken to slow her down as I thought of a plan. There's nothing in here to substitute with... Except for the weapons on the floor... But I'm not going to risk that. I'll have to meet up and clash with her... But I need to make sure she doesn't do anything to surprise me. I'm not even a Genin yet while she's a Jonin.

The Clone Jutsu will have to do! _Ram, snake, tiger! _I finished the seals with a grin as ten of myself fazed from my body. Each had a kunai in their hands.

They were fake, though. Clones don't have shadows, and they poof away the second you make contact with them. The weapons were also fake... It just makes them look a little more threatening. They also don't talk... For some odd reason.

I charged at her, my clones moving in front, behind, and beside me to confuse her. She threw a **dangerous** kunai straight through the middle, where I was. I instinctively jumped to the side, my clones not being so lucky and poofing away on contact with the cold weapon. She started throwing shuriken and kunai at me, to which I panicked.

I said I'm afraid of weapons pointing at me... But if I freeze up I'll die! I'll definitely die, and I'm pretty sure she'll make it look like I did it myself! I need to move!

I sent chakra down to my feet and forced my stiffened legs to move at the last minute! I sent the chakra to my feet so I could get a speed boost, but one shuriken nicked me in the ear. I ignored the insignificant pain and kept running as she threw shuriken and kunai after me.

I knew I had to most likely throw my own weapons back... She _did_ say she's going to add things that we learned... And I _did_ learn weaponry..!

"Ya!" I couldn't keep the cry from escaping my mouth as I threw three shuriken and a kunai at her. My kunai blocked one of her weapons, but my shurikens sailed straight for her face. She stopped the barrage of weapons - to which I took advantage of and breathed a big sigh of relief - and jumped up, avoiding the shuriken I threw.

I was tempted to throw a kunai at her while she was in the air, but what she started doing made me pause and stare at her in terror. She was doing hand seals... And she stopped with the tiger seal. Everyone knows you mostly use that for Fire Style Jutsus.

_Think! Fast! _I went through every single option I had. I don't think I'd get far enough if I run... I'm going to get hit..!

_Ram, boar, ox, dog, snake! _I ran through the hand seals so fast I even surprised myself! Even as she blew out the fire my eyes were looking for something to replace with. We were in a dojo! There's no logs or anything like that to replace with... I'm doomed..!

_The weapons you idiot! _I shouted at myself when my eyes looked to the ground. I felt the hot lick of fire on my forehead, but that was all until I couldn't see anything. I couldn't breathe and I felt I was being squeezed to death. Of course, this was because I was using this damn Substitution Jutsu! So, all that not breathing and stuff happened for only a second.

I was now a few feet away from where the fire was being blown at, and Anko was still in the air for some reason. I took out another kunai and flung it at her, aiming for her arm. She noticed at the last second and spinned in the air, the kunai grazing her arm! I hit her! I actually cut her arm!

She stopped blowing the fire and gracefully fell to the ground, smirking at me. I smirked back, thinking I finished the exam. Boy, was I wrong...

She got behind me so fast I didn't even notice until I blinked! The Body Flicker Jutsu... She forgot to teach me that... Before I could turn around or jump away or _whatever_, she grabbed my arm in a death grip and started... Started tying me up?! What?! Where did she get the rope from?! P-Pervert!

"Don't let an enemy get behind you so easily," she whispered in my ear, making my face burn hot. She grabbed the rope and pulled some more, almost squeezing me to death!

"W-W-What are you doing?!" I demanded as she tripped me up and I fell to the ground.

"This is part of the exam. Get out of that rope in under 10 seconds. If you don't I'll start stomping you," she threatened, instantly putting me back on my guard. I should've still been on my guard, but I thought it was over!

I instantly started sending my chakra out of my body, but it took a little longer to not accidentally send all my chakra. I started manipulating the rope with ease, even as Anko was nonchalantly tapping her foot and counting. At exactly 10 seconds I got out the rope and avoided a stomp to my chest by rolling away.

I got to my feet and almost instantly started fighting Anko in Taijutsu. I punched for her face, but she easily grabbed my arm and punched for mine. I moved to the side and kicked her away, but she just rushed me again. I guess this is part of the exam, too... I can't run from this fight!

I brought my leg up and kicked for her side, but she instantly started avoiding my attacks, sliding to the side every time I try and hit her. This is when I had to pay close attention to her movements and anticipate where she'll go next. Eventually, I managed to land a hit to her cheek, but she grabbed my arm, threw me up in the air and slammed me back down to the ground.

After about... Well... A long time later, I was lying on the ground, panting. She was just standing over me, not panting, but I could see some sweat on her forehead. At least I kinda stood my own... I guess... God, I'm hungry...

"Orochimaru must have done a lot of tests with you," Anko said bluntly, making me frown. Why would she even say that? Where is she even going with that sentence? "Before you get an attitude, kid, I was actually complimenting you. You learn fast... I'd say you're Genin material!"

I didn't react the way she wanted me to. I just painfully got up and shrugged, dusting myself off. I'm pretty sure I'm chakra exhausted again... And my whole body hurts. It's still pretty early, though... We've just been doing this for an hour.

"I... Actually don't really want to be a ninja," I said truthfully, clutching my arm as I limped away. "At the same time I do, though. Maybe it's to kill Orochimaru... Maybe it's to protect... _Someone_. Maybe it's so I'll always have something to do so I..."

So I don't end up killing myself.

"My reason for being a ninja doesn't matter, though," I said after a long silence, looking back at Anko's irritated but confused face. I'm not suddenly going to get real excited and happy... Because I'm **not**. I'm angry... I'm sad...

Can anyone really find happiness in a world without anyone you love? Maybe if you have a bad life... But I don't really think my life was that bad. This world is fake... So that makes me fake, too, I guess...

But that's not right, right? It's like saying Bigfoot isn't real, but then you see it and you believe it's real. I'm seeing this world through my own eyes... I've seen Naruto through my own eyes... So I have to believe this is real! Or... Is it all in my head..?

I don't even have my memories to comfort me...

"Hey, brat."

I turn around again and watch as she tosses me something. I instinctively catch the item and wince at the weight of it. It's a ninja headband... It's _her_ ninja headband! It's not heavy, but it's heavier than I imagined.

I looked up, my eyes begging for an explanation. "Don't give me that sullen look," she yawns, waving me off. "You've earned it, kid. Come to the mission room on Thursday, the Hokage will tell you what do do then." I blinked, looking down at the headband. It... Made me feel something...

I felt this feeling everyday I got up to train with Anko... It wasn't the depressed or annoyed feeling I feel... It's something else... Happ-

Nah... I'm not going to go that far.

But the smile slowly formed on my face as I exclaimed, "Thanks, Anko-sensei!" And with that I painfully ran out the dojo, heading to my apartment. It was only a little over 1:00pm... I had the whole day to myself!

"And don't go do anything rash!" She yelled after me. I just nodded, totally getting the hidden meaning behind that warning. I'm not really having suicidal thoughts... I'm just still really depressed.

When I got to my apartment... I just lied on the bed and relaxed. There wasn't really anything I could do... I'm too tired and hurt to check out the village again... The same reason I won't go to Naruto's house. I'll spend the whole day lying in the bed and practicing a little chakra control. And I won't forget to eat, of course...

On Wednesday, February 27th I got my sorry butt out the bed and after doing all the morning stuff, I headed to Naruto's house. I was kinda scared he went to do the Waves Mission, but when I knocked on the door he opened it with confusion etched on his face. I'm pretty sure he didn't think anyone would be coming to his house.

"Jalen!" He grinned when he realized it was me. I was wearing my headband on my right arm, because I think it'd get annoying to be on my head all the time. I didn't say anything as I turned my body, showing the ninja gear. His eyes obviously closed in confusion, but then opened back up as he gasped.

"You're a ninja now!" He exclaimed.

I nodded. "Yep. And my training is over, so I can hang out today."

"Awesome!" He motioned for me to come in as he turned back into his house. I followed and almost face palmed at the state of the room. It was cleaner than it was the first time I came here, but a blind person could see it was getting back messy. In comparison to his apartment, my place was pretty clean.

"Hey, Naruto," I called out to him as he went in the kitchen. I suspect that he's going to make ramen... But I already had that for breakfast. "I'm not really hungry right now. Actually, when I get hungry let's go to a restaurant I know." I was obviously talking about the dumpling place... I've become a little addicted.

He hesitated at first. I can tell; I've gotten good at reading people's expressions and moods. "Sure!" He stepped out of the kitchen, walking over to his bed. It wasn't made, but mine wasn't either. I don't really see a reason in making up my bed now... "What do you wanna do today?"

Actually... _What_ do I want to do? I told him we can hang out, but it's not like there's video games or TVs in this world.

We ultimately decided to just walk around the village and talk. He told me more about his squad and the missions he's been having. He didn't expect baby missions, like babysitting or collecting herbs. In return, I told him all about the crazy and slightly perverted Anko. I can totally see her as an insane drunk... Naruto agreed after the description I gave of her.

We stopped at a hot spring at relaxed there for a long time. I was reluctant of taking off my clothes for two reasons. The first one is that I have embarrassing scars over my body... And I just end up looking suicidal. The second is I don't want to get naked in front of random people! It's... Embarrassing...

Thankfully, most of them got out when Naruto got in, though. I was a little annoyed, but there wasn't anything I could particularly do. The water felt good, though... I almost fell asleep when Naruto kept rambling about ramen or something and his voice got distant.

After getting out the hot springs we were hungry, so I showed him to the nearest dumpling shop. (Un)surprisingly Anko was there... And she succeeded in embarrassing me. I resisted the urge to yell at her and ended up leaving earlier than expected. It doesn't take that long to eat the dumplings they serve, but I still wanted to stay a little longer. It's all Anko's fault.

Sadly, we met Sakura while we were walking back to Naruto's house. She yelled and hit him for missing training or whatever, and I called her something I probably shouldn't have because she ended up chasing us though half the village. She stopped after a while, mostly because Naruto's stamina is extremely amazing and I was just lucky, I guess. I could've easily beat her ass, but not in front of Naruto. He has a crush on her, as disturbing as that sounds.

We played a few pranks on some of the villagers, too! I usually wouldn't do that to people, but I haven't forgotten the way they treat Naruto. We ended up dropping orange paint on unsuspecting villagers, as lame as that sounds, but their reactions were _priceless_. We ran into a picture man one time when we were running away from angry villagers, and I persuaded him to take a picture of us.

In the picture, Naruto's arm was around my shoulder and he sported a giant smile. He was holding up the peace sign. I was just grinning, one hand in my pocket while the other one was also in the peace sign position. The funny thing was, there were angry villagers running towards us in the background. I even saw a silver haired man looking at porn books on the side!

Naruto and I obviously got two of the pictures framed. One for him and one for me. Good thing he was a ninja picture guy, so we got them before the villagers mauled us.

I looked over at Naruto's face while we were walking to his house, and the smile on his face was just... Wait... Searching thesaurus. Ah... **Fulgent!** It made me smile, too, and with the added effect of his chakra... I don't think I was ever happier. I ended up getting a futon and all my other things and spending the night over his house. Just in case I don't get put on his team...

_ミ 彡 __The Next Day: Thursday, February 28th __ミ 彡_

"Ah, Jalen... I'm glad you didn't forget," the Hokage said as I walked inside the mission room. You know... Almost everything is big in the ninja world. The mission room is huge... And I remember that the Academy was unusually big for a classroom. My guess is that ninja don't like being in tight spaces, or something like that...

"I don't think I'd forgive myself if I forgot something like this," I replied sheepishly. I was in an unnaturally good mood today... It's probably because of the day I spent with Naruto yesterday. I must have been with him for too long, because I feel his chakra even now... That's definitely what's keeping the frown off of my face.

The Hokage chuckled at my response. "I see what you mean there. Anyway, on to what you came here for," he waved a hand and Anko poofed in the room in a puff of smoke.

"Yo!" She greeted to me and turned to the Hokage. "Sir," she bowed. I sweatdropped. Is she bipolar as well as crazy?

"Anko has told me a lot of good things about you," the Hokage started. "She said that you learn pretty fast and you're probably stronger than the 9 Genin rookies. You're Genin level, she said, and with probably a month of intense training with her, you might be Chunin level."

My eyes widened and I looked over to Anko who just smirked at me. That bitch..!

"I was thinking that you join the Genin Corps and just take random missions until you promote to Chunin, or you stay under Anko as her apprentice and you'll get a few special privileges," the Hokage continued. "You choose. Although, I pretty much know what your choice will be." No... No... You don't.

This is so unfair! I don't want to be in the Genin Corps - even though that sounds like just what I'm looking for - and there's no way in hell I'm going to be Anko's apprentice! I hardly want to be in the same room as her! I wanted to be apart of Team 7... I wanted to follow the anime with Naruto... I know I won't die following the plot of the anime, and I know I won't have to unnecessarily kill!

But why should I be given that privilege? They already have a three man squad... This sucks... This really sucks...

_"Actually, when I become a Genin I'll request to be on your team! I'll demand it!"_

_He had a big smile on his face as he exclaimed, "We'll both demand it! Old man Hokage is sure to let you join!" We both laughed._

I did tell Naruto I'd at least request, though... But where is he at? He told me he'd demand it... No! I can't rely on Naruto... I'm going to ask him... I'm going to demand it! Yeah!

"Lord Hokage," I started, my voice determined and my eyes closed. "I... I want to request something else. I don't want to be in the Genin Corps... And I guess training with Anko-sensei is good, but what I really want is to be added with the 9 rookies. To be more precise, I would like to request to be in Team 7 under Kakashi Hatake!"

I bowed down, my eyes still closed as I continued. "I can still train with Anko-sensei once every week, but I just really want to be on that team. It's selfish, I know, but can you please just allow this?! I'd very much appreciate it, Lord Hokage!"

There was silence. I thought of something else to say, to probably sweeten the deal, but I couldn't think of anything. I just slowly brought my head back up and opened my eyes, praying their reactions were good. Anko had a smirk on her face, but it was... I saw emotion - le gasp! - in her face. The Hokage was warmly smiling for some reason, and the man sitting beside the Hokage was smiling as well... What's going on?

"Your eyes are much brighter than they were the first time I met you," the Hokage said. I tilted my head in confusion.

Anko sighed in annoyance. "It was that kid you were with yesterday, wasn't it? God, you look so mature, but you're just a brat." I scowled at her.

The man sitting beside the Hokage chuckled. "Naruto has that effect on people..."

"So," I sighed. I'm getting annoyed. "Is that a yes, Lord Hokage?"

"Of course," he answered, making me smile. "I actually expected this." I sweatdropped. I'm pretty sure he expected me to be Anko's apprentice. "You'll meet and officially join Team 7 tomorrow. But today, you'll have to do your ninja registration paperwork. And take your ninja registration picture."

I almost cheered. Almost. Instead, I grinned as the man who sat beside the Hokage motioned for me to sit by him and do my paperwork.

I almost choked on my spit and died laughing when I read the question "What is your sexual preferences?"

_**Author's Note: Oh, God... Long chapter... Overload! Overload! Ooooovvvvveeeeerrrrrlllllloooooooaaaaaaddddd! ∩_∩ Yeaaahhh... Anyway, I'm sure you all know why this chapter was necessary. I still think my fighting scenes suck... And I still don't care. And don't get the wrong idea people... Jalen isn't all happy and non depressed yet! He was just in a good mood. ^_^|| And just so you know, the Hokage wasn't literally saying his eye color changed. It's still grey. It's just... He was saying he looks happier, gosh! And... Am I forgetting something? I don't know... Probably... Whatever. ╮(╯_╰)╭ Just so you know, the next chapter should get to the Waves Mission. **_


	6. Journey To The Waves!

_**Question of the Day: What Would You Do If You Were Teleported Into The Naruto World? **_

_**Answer: I would definitely stalk Team 7 and Team 10. •_• Mostly Team 10...**_

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did... *Insert Witty Comment Here*. ╰**__**（￣▽￣）╭**_

**Grey**** Eyes **

Chapter 6

**ミ 彡 ****Friday, April 12th ****ミ 彡**

"Sasuke. I'm at point B."

"Saku-"

"Jalen. I'm at point D."

"Hey, **you!** Don't interrupt me! Sakura. I'm at point C."

...

"Naruto! I'm at point A. Believe it!"

"You're _slow_, Naruto. Okay, Squad 7- Huh?"

...

"The target has moved! Follow it!"

That was our cue. I jumped off of the tree - that I expertly climbed with both my hands - and gracefully landed on the ground, running after the rustling bushes. I could see Naruto and Sasuke beside me and Sakura lagging behind us. Kakashi was at the rendezvous point... As you can see from this serious scene; we're on a dangerous mission.

This mission has a very high injury rate... Our faces could never look the same again if we make a mistake on this mission... If we somehow fail... We might even be banished from the village..!

Our target is a sly, fast one... He moves at speeds seemingly impossible for regular humans. He's escaped his jail cell, and he's classified highly dangerous. We have orders to capture him and bring him back to the village unharmed...

The target suddenly stopped running and hid in a bush. I could easily sense the little amount of chakra he has, but the rustling in the bush was a dead giveaway. I stopped running and hid behind a tree, Sasuke and Sakura doing the same while Naruto hid on top of a tree.

"Over there," Naruto whispered to us. I just nodded. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and I slid ninja-like from tree to tree, careful not to make much noise.

"What's your distance from the target?" Kakashi asked us through his earpiece.

"Five meters," Naruto replied through his earpiece. "I'm ready, just give the signal."

"I'm ready, too," Sasuke said.

"So a-"

"So am I," I told them, to which Sakura growled at.

"Jalen... **Don't** interrupt me again! I'm ready, too, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, to which I rolled my eyes at.

"It's funny how you act like you can do something about it," I taunt, and almost as soon as the words leave my mouth I hear a static sound. It sounds like... It sounds like she broke her earpiece. I'm surprised she can do _that_!

"Now, now... Try to get along, you two. It's called teamwork," Kakashi said, to which I also rolled my eyes at. It's teamwork if the other person actually does something... And Sakura obviously does nothing. "Okay... **Now!**"

I jumped from behind the tree and ran for the target. A quick glance behind me showed that Sasuke and Naruto were doing the same. Sakura obviously didn't hear Kakashi since she decided to be stupid and break her earpiece. She ran after us when she realized we were going for it.

"YAAAHH!" Naruto screamed as he was the first to jump in the bush and grab our target. "I got 'em! I got 'em!"

"NYYYYYAAAAA! NYAAAAAAAA!"

"Our target, Tora the Cat, was captured by Naruto Uzumaki," I summarized as I stepped over the bush and saw the brown cat struggling against Naruto's hold. He was scratching the boy's face like crazy, Naruto yelling curses and profanities all the while. "Don't let go of it, Naruto. You can win," I tried to say encouragingly, but it ended up as a monotone drawl.

"Can you verify a ribbon on it's right ear?" Kakashi asked us through the earpiece. I could hardly hear him with Naruto's screaming. The cat was practically beating the shit out of Naruto; scratching him, punching him, and even stomping him on the back... W-Wow...

"Affirmative. We got a positive ID," Sasuke informed.

"Right... Lost Pet, Tora, captured. Mission accomplished," Kakashi announced in that monotone voice of his. I sighed in relief, Sasuke and I taking off our earpieces. Naruto struggled against the cat a bit more before I decided to help. I grabbed the animal by the ear and swiftly threw it at a tree.

"Nyak!" The cat exclaimed before falling limp to the ground.

"Aaahhh!" Sakura screamed, running over and picking the cat up. "You could've killed the poor thing, and we're supposed to get it back unharmed!"

I bit back another insult and calmly said, "We can say it fell off a tree, or something like that."

She looked like she wanted to explode. "Cats always land on their feet, **idiot**." I blinked. Then blinked again.

Okay, maybe that was a bit stupid of me, but _I_ actually refrained myself from insulting her then! That's why I just don't like this pink haired bitch!

Before I could say something back to her, Naruto yelled, "**CAN'T WE GET A BETTER MISSION THAN THIS?! I HATE CATS!**"

I disregarded Sakura from my universe and turned to the tantrum-having Naruto. "But, you know?" I started, making Naruto stop his tantrum to look at me. "Those whisker marks on your face make you look like a cat... Or some kind of fox."

After I said that he started looking uncomfortable, but replied, "Oh... Not really..."

"We need to go back to the rendezvous," Sasuke said, making us all turn to him. He started walking away and Sakura obviously followed, looking like a lovesick dog. Emphasis on **dog**.

Naruto and I slowly followed behind them, Naruto grumbling about cats and missions. I just smiled at him, using his chakra to calm myself down against Sakura-bitch. Kakashi was on his knees, messing with his ears when we saw him. He ordered Naruto to never yell that loud when on his earpiece, to which Naruto just grumbled back.

While we were walking to the mission room - Sakura was carrying the whimpering cat in her arms - Kakashi told me to stop bashing Sakura, to which I just shrugged. It's not my fault she's useless... And annoying... And that I just don't like her.

I don't like Sasuke either, but he hardly says anything to me, so I just try and ignore his "I'm a bastard!" vibes. Kakashi is alright, I guess, but the only one I really like is Naruto. That's the only reason I requested to be put on this team, because of him. If not, then I'd much rather just be Anko's apprentice.

Speaking of Anko, I usually train with her once a week. It's not really training, though... It's for me to learn to control, or at least not faint when using, my eye ability. Once every week she says "Konoha" or "Hidden Leaf Village" and tell me to endure for as long as I can. I've gotten a little better at not fainting, but I can hardly control it. She just dumps me at my apartment every time I do faint and leaves a box of dumplings.

"_Oh!_ My poor little Tora!" The Wife of Land of Fire's Daimyo (Feudal Lord) exclaimed as she ran up and snatched the cat out of Sakura's arms. I almost laughed when the cat seemingly sprung back to life and tried desperately to get away from it's owner. "Mommy was so worried about that naughty little fuzzy kitty! _Oh!_" The cat actually had tears coming out of it's eyes... I've never seen anything like it...

"Ahahaha! Stupid cat!" Naruto laughed, scratching his messy head. "That kitty deserves to be squashed!" He has healing scratch marks all over his face.

"No wonder he ran away," Sakura said. It's not like he's running for his health, stupid.

That lady _does_ seem to be a bit _too _cuddly, though. But she's the wife of the Feudal Lord... It's not like we can decline her request. And I guess I do feel a little sad...

"For Squad 7's next mission we have several available tasks," the Hokage drawled, picking up a sheet of paper. I sighed... I hate these boring missions... "Among them is babysitting the chief counselor's three year old... Helping his wife to do the shopping... Digging up potatoes and-"

"**NOOOO!**" Naruto yelled, positioning his arms to make an X. "I wanna go on a real mission! Something challenging and exciting, not this little kid stuff! Come on, old man!"

"**How dare you!**" The man sitting beside the Hokage, Iruka, yelled, slamming his hands on the desk. "You're just a brat and new Genin with no experience! Like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself!"

Okay, okay... He doesn't have to be so mean and loud about it... Even the Hokage looks annoyed at the man's random rage moment.

"**Are you serious?!** Babysitting is not a mission, it's just a stupid- Ahh!" Naruto was forced to shut up by the sudden bop in the head by Kakashi. Naruto fell to the ground over dramatically face-first.

"Will you put a lid on it?" Kakashi asked, looking down at Naruto disapprovingly. Sasuke, Sakura, and I just stood at the sidelines and watched the whole scene with a blank face.

"Naruto," the Hokage started. Naruto just sat on his butt and rubbed his aching head, crying about abuse and whatnot. "It seems you do not understand the tasks you have been given." Naruto looked up curiously, his face looking strangely like a little kid's. "Listen. Many different kinds of requests come into our village every day. From babysitting to assassinations."

"Woah," I mumbled. "Didn't think they'd be so straightforward with it." Kakashi looked down at me for some reason before just sighing and continuing to listen to the Hokage.

"These requests are carefully recorded, analyzed, and then ranked A, B, C, or D depending on their difficulty," the Hokage continued, but I soon found myself not listening to him and starting to listen to Naruto who was talking about the ramen he'd eaten.

"So I had this Tonkotsu ramen yesterday and I'm thinking Miso ramen today."

"I had Miso ramen yesterday... I'm probably going to use today's mission pay and get some dumplings."

The conversation was strangely riveting... The Hokage's old drawl was starting to put me to sleep. Even Kakashi was listening in on this conversation! Is that old man still talking?

"Maybe you should use the mission pay get a brush for your hair," Sakura mumbled. Ah, so she still wants to go at it, huh?

"Maybe you should use the mission pay to finally get yourself a leash," I shot back. "Actually, where _is_ your owner? Are you a stray?"

"**SILENCE!**" the Hokage boomed, actually making me flinch. It effectively got us to stop talking, but not before giving Sakura-bitch a dirty look.

"Oh, sorry," Kakashi apologized, sheepishly scratching his white hair. I still can't get over the fact that it practically defies gravity...

"Gah!" Naruto turned around to face the Hokage, still sitting on his butt. "You always lecture me like you're my grandfather or something! But I'm not the little brat who used to pull pranks all the time! I'm a ninja now, and I want a ninja mission!" After that heart-wrenching speech, Naruto huffed and puffed before he turned back around. He's... Is he pouting? Like a little kid...

Iruka and the Hokage smirked, chuckling. It almost looked like they were sneering.

"Naruto wants us to know that he's not a brat; he's a former brat, and he wants a mission," the Hokage said. "So be it." Naruto looked up, surprised. Sasuke looked up, surprised. Meg- I mean Sakura looked up, surprised. I even looked up, surprised. "Since you are so determined... I'm going to give you a C rank mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey."

...Uh-oh...

"Really?!" Naruto asked, looking back at the old man. "Yes!" He was completely facing the man now, but he was still on the floor. "Who?! Who?! Are we guarding a princess?! Or some busy counselor?!"

If my memory is correct... No. We're going to be guarding a rude old man... And he's building... Something...

"Don't be so impatient." Was all the Hokage said. "I'll bring him in now." He raised his voice as he said, "Send in our visitor."

We all turned around to see who the person we would be guarding is. The door slowly opened to reveal an old man with a beer bottle in his hands. He's a grey-haired, bespectacled man with a large beard and dark eyes. He's wearing a sleeveless v-neck shirt with an obi, pants, and a pair of sandals. He's also carrying a towel around his neck and wears a pointed hat on his head.

"What the..?" He blinked. "A bunch of little snot nosed kids?!" He mumbled something under his breath and sighed, placing the beer bottle to his lips and taking big gulps of it. I could see how his hands were shaking, though, and how his eyes were going all over the place when he saw us. Some just might think it's because he's drunk... But that's a sign of nervousness.

"And you, the little one with the idiotic look on your face... You really expect me to believe you're a ninja?" The man said, making my vein pop. I'm not going to say anything this time, but he better not make a habit of insulting Naruto. That's what Sakura's here for.

"Hahahahaha!" Naruto laughed a little triumphantly. "Who's the little one with the idiotic look on his- Huh?" Sasuke and Sakura both stepped up beside Naruto, showing they're taller than him. "Ah..?" He looked over at me, and I just shook my head. I'm about the same height as Sasuke... He registered all of this under a second and glared. "I'LL DEMOLISH YOU! LET ME GET MY HANDS ON YOU! COME ON! YOU'RE MINE! COME HERE!"

"You can't demolish the client, Naruto, it doesn't work that way," Kakashi said simply, grabbing Naruto's collar and holding him back.

"Gah!" The old man sighed, wiping his mouth from the beer. He gave us a blank look, but his hand was clutching the beer bottle a little too hard. "I am Tazuna; a master bridge builder, and I must return to my country. I'm building a bridge there that will change our world and I expect that you get me there safely, even if it means giving up your life."

My life? For some old man who I don't know and already don't like? Yeah, totally.

"Okay, you four. Go pack up for this mission," Kakashi told us, clapping his hands. "This mission requires us to leave the village, and since we're heading there at civilian speed, pack up for at least a month." A month?! Wow... "Bring a backpack of things from food to survival items to ninja gear. It'll take us at least a week to actually make it to... Uh..."

"The Land of Waves," Tazuna clarified, and Kakashi nodded in response.

"Tomorrow, after you're done packing, meet up at the village gate. We'll be leaving at 1:00pm, so don't be late," Kakashi ordered, and with that he used the Body Flicker Jutsu and left. Tazuna walked out after that, mumbling something, and after we all got our mission pay, we left, too.

Naruto practically ran to his house, totally excited about the new mission. Sasuke didn't say anything as he took the route to his house, and Sakura tried to get a little date with Sasuke before the mission. He obviously declined, leaving Meg- I mean Sakura devastated. I took a detour to the dumpling place... Intent on seeing if Anko was there. I needed to tell her I'm going on my first C rank...

(Un)surprisingly, Anko was sitting at a random table, gulping down dumpling after dumpling. I swear... Well, it _is_ good...

"Anko-sensei," I called out to her, making her turn her head to glare at me. _Excuse me _for interrupting your little dumpling feast. "I'm going on my first C rank tomorrow. I'm going to be away from the village for a while." She paused, that split second of worry and hesitation, before she just shrugged me off and continued eating.

"What are you tellin' me for?" She mumbled. I shrugged.

"I just thought I should tell you," I answered. "There's a chance that I might not come back." And that's actually true! From what I remember... Ninja will be attacking us... I don't know which ones, though...

She sighed, finishing the dumplings, and looked at me. "You know what... Shuddup, kid," she said, going inside her coat pocket. I prepared for an attack, but she just tossed me a dagger. I didn't catch it... My phobias still exist, ya know...

I did pick it up when I looked at her irritated face, though. "Why are you throwing crap at me?"

"It's not crap, you brat! It's a dagger... It could save your little life!"

I thought of not accepting it, but she was right... It _could_ save my life... So I just shrugged as I placed it in my holster and walked away... Not even saying bye. I _did_ buy a few dumpling boxes... Kakashi did say to bring food.

When I got home I found a red colored backpack hiding in the closet. It was actually pretty big, I can put a bunch of things in it. There were even compartments where I could put my dumplings so they won't get crushed or messed up. I put my dumplings in the refrigerator so they could get good and cold for the trip, though. I just love cold food... Most of the time. I don't know why...

I started packing everything I needed after that. Clothes... Ninja gear... Ramen... My sheets... Everything that I thought I would need! My bag was pretty much full when I was done, and my apartment looked deserted. I sweatdropped.

"And this dagger," I took the knife out of my holster and stared at it, amazed at how it shines in the light. "What will this thing do for me anyway? I guess it's more effective than a kunai... But still..."

I just brought a hand in my hair and sighed, now fully realizing I was alone and how quiet it was. My mood just plummeted almost instantly... I don't know why it happens. I just feel... Awful sometimes. And there's nothing to distract me... And there's nothing that can really perk me up.

"...I need a hot shower..."

**ミ 彡 ****Saturday, April 13th ****ミ 彡**

I woke up in an exceedingly worse mood than yesterday. I'm still constantly having nightmares, and even though I don't "choke" on chakra anymore, I can hardly get to sleep at night. The alarm clock was what got me up... It was 12:00pm. I doubted Kakashi was going to get there on time, so I took my time getting ready for the long month ahead.

After doing all the morning rituals, I got the sheets and covers on my bed and stuffed them in my backpack. I already have some in there, but they're in there just in case Naruto forgot his. I could care less if Sasuke froze to death at night, and I just didn't think of Sakura. I don't **hate** them... I just don't particularly **like** them. And I'm sure Kakashi knows all the things you're supposed to bring with you during missions like these; he's a Jounin.

I ate my breakfast - Miso ramen - slower than I usually did, probably because of my gloomy attitude. What I wouldn't give to be waking up for school... It's amazing how something I used to hate so much can be what I long for right now. Even though it _is_ Saturday.

I took a glance at my dresser and stared at the two pictures situated on it. One was of Naruto and I... That one time when he and I were running from the angry villagers and bumped into a picture guy. That was a fun day... I almost remember every single detail of that day. The second picture is of Team 7, including me. They already had a group picture, but since I was added to the team we took a new one.

Sasuke looked highly annoyed, his hands in his pocket. He was annoyed because Sakura was hugging him from behind, smiling at the camera. Naruto had his arm around my shoulder, but he gave Sasuke a dirty look for getting all of Sakura's attention. Naruto slung his arm around me so fast that it caught me off guard, so I had a surprised look on my face. Kakashi was behind us, both his hands doing the peace sign, and he had a tired, sheepish smile on his face.

After I finished eating and double checking everything; I left. My bag was lazily strapped across my chest. Kunai holster and shuriken holster were both attached to my legs; kunai on the right and shuriken on the left. I don't usually bring them with me because ninja weapons are pretty expensive. Anko supplies me with a few sometimes, but that's really all I get. I use all my money on dumplings and living expenses... It's a tough world.

Luckily, Anko must have stopped by while I was sleeping and left a box of explosive tags. Explosive tags are, like, really expensive..! Only famous clans like the Hyuuga or Uchiha can actually buy them without worrying... And some other clans can, too... I just don't feel like naming every single clan.

To activate explosive tags: You need to put some of your chakra inside the paper and it'll start to catch on fire. Depending on how much chakra you put it in, the faster and bigger it'll explode.

"Jalen!" Naruto exclaimed, running up to me as soon as I came into view. Tazuna, Sasuke, and Sakura were all at the gate... Kakashi was the only one who wasn't. "I was starting to think the nervousness caught up to you! I thought you weren't gonna show!"

"Heh, I wasn't nervous," I said flatly. "Why would I be nervous on a mission like this? _It's not like we should get into real trouble._" On the outside I had a blank face on, but on the inside I was laughing evilly. I saw Tazuna flinch! I totally saw it!

"You're still late," Sakura said disapprovingly.

"And you're still ugly," I retorted. She clenched her fists and glared at me while I just scoffed, turning away. "I'm not in the mood, Sakura-bitch. Don't say anything to me for a while... Although I'd like it if you wouldn't say anything at all."

"**Why you..!**" Sakura growled. She swiftly turned around, mumbling something I couldn't catch.

Sasuke looked exasperated, while Naruto looked torn between his best friend and his crush. He just decided to sheepishly smile before saying, "I don't think you're ugly, Sakura~!"

"Shut **UP,** Naruto!" She yelled. She didn't hit him this time, so I kept my mouth shut, but she's just so... Stupid! He's basically calling her pretty, and she just..! Ugh! This bitch crazy!

"Are you guys always like this? And is your sensei always this late?" Tazuna asked us. "You all seem pretty used to it."

I didn't answer him; too annoyed. Sakura didn't answer him; too angry. Sasuke didn't answer him; too bastardy. Naruto was the one to talk. "Yeah, he's always late... We're gonna be as old and grey as you when he gets here," Naruto grumbled, obviously irritated at Kakashi's lateness and at how Sakura rejected him.

"You brat..!" Tazuna choked out, spitting his bear on the ground. I guess he wasn't expecting that type of answer... But Naruto can be pretty rude. Naruto probably wouldn't have said that if he hadn't singled him out yesterday, though.

I suddenly sensed someone. That nagging pull in my head, and it was going up. I instinctively looked up and, to my utter surprise and annoyance, Kakashi was sitting on top of the village gate, reading! Naruto noticed my breath hitch and followed my gaze.

"HEY! YOU LAZY BUM! YOU TELL US TO COME HERE BY 1:00 AND YOU DON'T SHOW YOURSELF UNTIL IT'S ALMOST 2:00!" Naruto raged, jumping up and down as he yelled at Kakashi. I sighed and placed my hand on my forehead, muttering profanities.

Kakashi jumped down from the gate and placed his book in his back holster, looking up at the sky. "It's that time already? My clock broke, so I came here a tad bit early. I was using the sun to try and tell the time... I thought it was 12:00..."

"Stop lying, sensei!" Sakura scolded, placing her hands on her hip. "What kind of impression are you giving to our client by coming almost an hour late? And on our first C rank mission, too!"

"Ah, well... Mistakes are mistakes," Kakashi waved her off, making her scowl. "Anyway, I'm ready to depart. Come on, team." Kakashi motioned for us to walk, and I felt my heart beat a little faster.

This will be my _real_ first time leaving the village... I can't lie and say this world isn't beautiful... It is. I just have the need to explore... Or something like that. I don't know... Is this excitement? Whatever it is, it's enough to put an awkward grin on my face.

Naruto is carrying a blue backpack, Kakashi is carrying a brown backpack, Sasuke is carrying a grey backpack, Sakura is carrying a white backpack, and I'm carrying a red backpack.

"**Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh!**" Naruto cheered, fist-pumping the air. "Alright!"

"What are _you_ getting so excited about, Naruto?" Sakura asked, obviously in a bad mood.

"This is the first time I've ever left the village!" Naruto explained, grinning. "I'm a traveller now! Believe it! Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"

"Hey," Tazuna started, pointing at Naruto. "Am I supposed to entrust my life to this runt? He's a joke!" Naruto stopped laughing, glaring.

Kakashi laughed nervously. "He's with me, and I'm a Jounin, so you don't need to worry," Kakashi assured. Man... This bastard Tazuna is progressively annoying me.

"Hey!" Naruto turned around, pointing straight at Tazuna. "Never insult a ninja; it's a big mistake! And I'm one of the greatest ninja ever!" He had a big smile on his face now. "Someday I'm gonna be Hokage and you'll look up to me! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! Remember it!"

Tazuna took another swig of his beer. How much is in that thing? "_Hokage_ are powerful and wise. _You_ are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage is the day I'll sprout wings and fly."

"If you keep talking like that you'll be flying up to Heaven soon," I said, redirecting his attention to me. "This may be our first C rank mission, but I'm sure the client isn't supposed to act like a complete jackass. I said I'm in a bad mood already, so if you keep on talking like that Naruto and I can decline this mission and you can go merrily along to your death." I narrowed my eyes. "_Or_ you can keep your mouth shut and allow us to escort and protect you. You choose."

Tazuna visibly stiffened, but Kakashi bonked me on the head. "You can't back out if this mission now, Jalen. And learn to respect the client... The client is like God in this situation." I clutched my aching head and glared at the man. God..! His hits hurts!

Tazuna sighed and started walking away while Naruto yelled after him. Sakura and Sasuke just walked beside him while Kakashi, Naruto, and I followed them. I suddenly felt the tugging pull in my head again... And it was in the trees. I thought nothing of it because we're in the ninja world... _Of course_ ninja would be travelling through the trees!

I also thought nothing of the feeling I got when sensing their chakra. I've come to understand that a lot of ninja give off that particular feeling. The feeling that I'm in danger.

The first night out of the village was really exciting. My mood got a lot better throughout the day, and I just loved how everything looked. It actually made me feel like I was in some sort of fairy tale... I felt happy..! Although, it could have just been Naruto's chakra.

We walked _forever!_ I had the strange idea that we'd get there in less than a day... I was so, so wrong. Kakashi told us that we weren't even halfway there when it was time to set up camp for the night. No one, minus Tazuna, actually brought a tent... So we had to find a suitable spot to sleep for the night. Tazuna just slept happily in his tent...

I was also the only one the brought covers and sheets. I had two sheets and two covers, so I was obviously forced to share with everyone. Sasuke and Sakura slept on the sheets while Naruto and I slept on the covers. Kakashi told us he'd just sleep on the ground.

Since this was our first C rank, Kakashi forced us to keep watch. Sakura would stay up first, then she'd wake up Sasuke, then he'd wake up Naruto, and Naruto would wake me up for the last shift. This, obviously, went terribly wrong.

I couldn't sleep at first because of Sakura squealing about Sasuke's sleeping face. I yelled for her to shut up and we argued for the majority of her shift. We woke up Sasuke and Naruto while we were arguing, so when it was Sasuke's turn he was enraged at us. I actually managed to fall asleep during Sasuke's shift, but when he woke up Naruto it all went downhill. He apparently kicked the other boy awake, so Naruto was yelling and they were arguing for most of the shift. They woke Sakura and I up...

The only good thing was that Naruto fell asleep during his shift, so I didn't have to wake up. And Naruto's chakra kept me from having nightmares! I was so happy!

**ミ 彡 ****Sunday, April 14th ****ミ 彡**

Now today, when we woke up, we had to erase all evidence of us camping there. Naruto and I were forced to do most of the work, since Naruto fell asleep during his shift and I didn't take my shift.

Kakashi told us to save our food for when we got hungry walking. So for breakfast he picked us all berries. He picked them out because he knew that we wouldn't know which ones were poisonous or not. I just shrugged as I scarfed down the berries. I was pretty hungry.

Naruto was in the lead most of the time, as if he knew which way to go. It was mostly just a straightforward road, so there's a slim chance of us getting lost. It's a slimmer chance because Kakashi and Tazuna knows which way to go.

I kept on sensing a lot of ninja in pairs near us. It could have been the same two ninja... I don't know. They would just come near us and then vanish. I felt the dangerous, uneasy feeling whenever they came... But I still didn't think anything of it.

"Say... Mr. Tazuna," Sakura started randomly, disrupting the silence that we had going on. "Your country is the Land of Waves, right?"

"Yeah... What of it?"

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura just stopped the conversation she had going on with Tazuna and turned to Kakashi. "There are ninja in that country, too, aren't there?"

"No. There are no ninja in the Land of Waves," Kakashi answered. "But, in other countries there are hidden villages, each with their own different customs and cultures, where ninja reside. To the people of this continent, the existences of shinobi villages mean strength... Military strength. In other words, that's how they protect themselves and maintain the power of balance with neighboring countries. The ninja villages are not controlled by any government, they're independent and have equal status."

Oh, no... Not another geography lesson...

"Now a small island like the Land of Waves have natural protection from the sea. So, there's no need for a ninja village," Kakashi continued. "The five ancient lands that possess shinobi villages are the Lands of Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, and Earth. They each occupy vast territories... Together they are known as the Five Great Shinobi Nations. The Land of Fire has the Village- uh..."

He looked at me and I looked back at him. I guess he knows about my condition... I won't faint if he says it, but no one will be able to look at my eyes, and I'd be walking a lot slower than normal. I'd be chakra exhausted... My eyes would return to normal after a while, but I'd need to rest a lot for my chakra exhaustion to go away.

"Yeah... The Land of Water has the Village Hidden in the Mist. The Land of Lightning; The Village Hidden in the Clouds. The Land of Wind; The Village Hidden in the Sand. And the Land of Earth... The Village Hidden in the Stones," Kakashi informed.

"Wait, sensei... You skipped-"

"**Sakura!**" Kakashi said in a warning tone, making her flinch. Everyone stopped walking and turned to Kakashi. I guess it's time for them to find out. "No one is allowed to say what the Land of Fire has. When Jalen hears that he is forced to use a life threatening Jutsu that could kill you all. And if it doesn't kill you all, then he'll be chakra drained and we'll have to either carry his unconscious body or take a long break that we can't afford." He stopped, giving them all a scary look. "I repeat: Do **not** say it under any circumstances around him... Understood?"

They all furiously nodded. Well, Sakura and Naruto did. Sasuke just turned to look at me, so I glared at him. He better not be getting any ideas...

"Why does that happen? What's the Jutsu called? What does it do?!" Naruto asked me, now walking beside me. I hesitated. I can't tell him now... Can I? I'm sure Kakashi already knows... But I don't want Sakura and Sasuke to know... They'll probably feel pity for me, or something like that.

I gave a fake smile and said, "I'll tell _you_ later, Naruto." He furiously nodded, super excited now. Sasuke glared at me before turning away. Sakura frowned, but she didn't say anything.

"Now then... As I was saying," Kakashi said cheerfully, clapping his hands. "Only the leaders of those hidden villages are permitted the name _Kage_, which means _Shadow_," he paused. "Hokage, Mizukage, Raikage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage... These are the leaders; the Five Shadows that reign over thousands of ninja."

"Ah~!" Sakura squealed, cheerfully smiling. "Then Lord Hokage's really important!" The Hokage? Important? Well... Yeah, I guess he's _important_, but I have a good feeling Kakashi is stronger than him. Actually... Do Hokage's even fight? They just call the shots during war time, but I don't think they fight... Kakashi _must_ be stronger than that old man back at the mission room!

"Hey," Kakashi called out, making me tense up. Did... Did I..? "You all just doubted Lord Hokage, didn't you? That's what you were thinking."

"Uh... Uh-uh... N-no..." We all furiously shook our heads. Well, Naruto, Sakura, and I. Sasuke just stood still, being his boring self.

"Well... Anyway," Kakashi smiled, placing his hand on Sakura's head. Is that leading to something? "There are no ninja battles in a C ranked mission. So, you can relax," he assured. I saw Tazuna flinch again! I totally saw it!

"Then we're not going to run into any foreign enemy ninja or anything like that!" Sakura smiled. I saw it again! He flinched again! I saw it!

Kakashi laughed. "Not likely."

Oh, how wrong... How wrong he is...

**ミ 彡 ****Wednesday, April 18th ****ミ 彡**

You know..? You know, right? You know how tiring it is to walk to the Land of Waves at civilian speed? Of course you don't... And I wouldn't have known unless I actually did it... Which I did! I mean, of course we take breaks and stuff, but I would much rather be doing something else. We would be there by now if we were going at ninja speed!

Everyday was basically the same. No one would hardly talk, we'd just keep walking. Tazuna would grunt sometimes, I would sigh sometimes, but that's basically it. I'm still not very used to this ninja stuff, so my stamina isn't exactly the best, but this is just getting annoying.

We travelled over bridges and rivers and **everything!** My dumplings were completely gone on the 3rd day... And it's the 5th day of walking now! Kakashi brought ninja ration bars... They were... Uh... Not as good as I wanted them to be. That didn't stop me from gobbling them down, though.

I kept on sensing the same pair of ninja, though. The thought that they were following us scared me, but I kept quiet. I would look up at Kakashi sometimes to try and give a silent warning; he would smile at me.

At one point... We were all silently walking down the trail, Naruto in front, me behind Naruto, Sakura behind me, Kakashi behind Sakura, Sasuke behind Kakashi, and Tazuna behind Sasuke. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but there was a puddle right at the side of the trail.

I noticed because...

It was oozing with chakra. Dangerous chakra.

It's probably over 100° out here! And there are no puddles anywhere else... It would have dried up by now.

It hasn't rained since last month.

I eyed the mysterious puddle suspiciously, danger sirens going off in my head. Like that puddle is important in some way. I looked up at Kakashi again, but he didn't smile back at me this time. He looked at me a little nervously, before looking ahead. I shrugged at him, deciding to ignore everything and focus on walking.

We just calmly walked past the puddle. I ignored Kakashi's spike in chakra, I ignored the killing intent behind me, and I ignored Kakashi scream. Yep...

Oh, wait...

I swiftly turned around and gasped at the horrific scene. Two ninja, both dressed up in black, both having a Hidden Mist headband on, both with a Hidden Mist breathing mask... Both killing Kakashi.

Their spiked chains wrapped all around Kakashi's body and literally tore him to shreds! His gruesome, grotesque body parts fell to the ground... His blood going all over the place. There was something off, though! That spike in Kakashi's chakra before he was killed, and that pull in my head is going everywhere! It's literally driving me insane!

"Ah... Ahhhhh!" Sakura screamed, her eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"Ah, K-Kakashi-sensei..!" Naruto stuttered. The two ninja disappeared and appeared right behind Naruto, chuckling evilly. He froze. I didn't.

I slid out my dagger and pushed Naruto to the side, slashing wildly. I know that that probably wasn't the best move, because Anko told me attacking randomly is a sign of inexperience... But I didn't care! I'm not letting what happened to Kakashi happen to Naruto, even if my head is killing me and these guys are scary as hell..!

"If you want to die before him, we'll be happy to oblige!" The one on the left exclaimed, easily dodging all of my attacks. The one on the right slid to my side and lunged at me, his menacing claws promising death. I turned and blocked the claw with the dagger, but the one on the left took that opportunity to bring his arm up, the spiked chain hovering over me.

I froze. I'm not use to fighting such high speed battles... I'm not use to fighting _any_ battles! I'm going to die here... I'm really going to die..!

A shuriken suddenly hit the chain that was about to tear me to shreds, attaching it to a tree. It gave me enough time to jump back and dodge another clawed strike, stumbling to the ground. I turned around to see who temporarily saved my life... It was Sasuke!

Sasuke then threw a kunai at the stuck chain, ensuring that it would stay stuck to the tree. Both of the men tugged at their gauntlet-clawed hand, but the chain wouldn't come loose. I used this opportunity to get up and run to Naruto, who was just standing there, trembling.

Sasuke jumped on top of both of the men's gauntlet and then kicked both of them straight in the face, using the gauntlet to hold himself on. They both groaned in pain, but that wasn't enough to beat them. They unlocked the chain from their gauntlets and ran away from us, going for the weaker targets; Sakura and Tazuna.

Or that's what I thought. I didn't particularly care about Sakura and Tazuna, so I just watched, but only one of them went for Sakura and Tazuna. The other one changed their course and went for Naruto again! I was _enraged!_

"Wha-Whaaa!" Naruto screamed, waiting for the inevitable death claw to pierce him in the throat. I moved like lightning; sliding straight in front of Naruto with my dagger protecting me.

"**Konoha!**" I screamed, and felt my whole body just buckle down. My legs lost all of their strength and my breathing grew rapid. My stomach felt empty; The effect of hunger and loss of chakra. The sting in my eyes told me what was happening... I activated the Jutsu..! Somehow..?

The claw stopped straight at my eye, poison dripping from the tip of it. The man's eyes were widened, his body dangerously tense. He didn't move, I didn't move, Naruto didn't move... It was as if we were in our own little world... And I was the one in control.

"L-Leave," I mumbled, my voice kinda giving out on me. He didn't even nod or do anything in acknowledgment; he just brought the clawed hand to his side and jumped away into trees, his chakra slowly disappearing from my range.

His partner stopped his attack on Sakura and Tazuna and turned around, watching with a mad, confused expression his partner leaving. "Where are you going?!" He yelled/asked in a deep, menacing voice. He jumped up to leave with him, but Kakashi decided to come back from the dead and grab him, slamming him down to the ground.

Everyone just stared as Kakashi brought his foot on the man's chest, knocking him out. He looked up to us and smiled. "Hi."

Sakura gasped, Sasuke looked irritated, but Naruto was staring at me. I made sure to turn away from him, making sure he doesn't see my eyes. They still sting, so that means it's still activated. But how did I activate it in the first place?! I could have sworn that it wouldn't work if I said it..?

I turned to look at Kakashi's _dead corpse._ It was a bunch of cut-up logs... He must have used the Illusion Jutsu to show everyone that deadly image... That's why I felt his chakra spike and that's why my head kept tugging everywhere, cause chakra was in the air!

"Naruto," Kakashi started. "Sorry I didn't help you right away. I wasn't trying to get you hurt, I just didn't think you'd freeze up like that." He turned to me. The pathetic me who's panting on the floor. "Jalen... I don't know how you managed to activate it by yourself, but don't do it again. If you lose anymore chakra you could seriously _die._"

I shuddered at the tone of his voice. I don't want to die... But Naruto was in trouble... And his late ass just came at the last damn second!

"Anyway, good job on protecting Naruto," he said, smiling. I weakly scowled at him... He's pissing me off...

"Good job, Sasuke. Very smooth," he turned to the smiling Sakura. "You too, Sakura." What did she do? I didn't see her do anything...

"Hey," Sasuke started, turning to the glaring Naruto.

"Yeah?"

"You're not hurt, are ya?" Sasuke asked in a patronizing tone. "Scaredy cat." Before Naruto could just flat our explode, I intervened.

"Sasuke-bastard. You hardly say anything, and the first thing you say to Naruto is call him a scaredy cat," I glared at him. "A good teammate would really be worried... They would check if their partner is alright. Instead, you try and make fun of him for being _scared_ in a _scary_ situation. You're really stupid."

"Hn."

"Ah, yes. Your vocabulary is utterly outstanding."

"Both of you, quit it!" Kakashi ordered. "We're in a tricky situation here. We have one of them knocked out, but the other one escaped. So now we know that we're being targeted for some reason," he looked over at Tazuna. "Do you perhaps know why, bridge builder?"

He paled, but I started to ignore the conversation. Naruto was staring at me, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" I asked. My eyes were back to normal, but I was still exhausted. My body just hurts for no reason.

"I was useless... In front of everyone," he mumbled.

I forgot... I forgot that he doesn't want to be alone **and** he wants to be acknowledged... If he thinks he's inferior to other people... And it's added with the fact that he's _**truly**_ scared.

"_**Don't worry, Naruto,**_" I breathed, an awkward smile on my face. "_**You don't have to worry... I promise... I'll always protect you..!**_"

_**Author's Note: Gaaaahhh! Long chapter! So long! And a Mirai Nikki moment at the end. I just love that anime! Anyway, Read and Review! Bye nii~!**_

_**R.T.R. (Reviewing The Reviewers): **_

_**WomanSlayer: I know... It is pretty dangerous... But I trust my followers and reviewers! Like you! •**__**﹏•**_

_**Firetrail: When I get back home expect for story updates a lot faster! If the school work doesn't kill me... Why can't summer last forever?! And I'm glad that you're liking this story, and Shippuden is my goal! Y(^_^)Y**_

_**Kage Kurai: Your admiration of Itachi and hate of Sakura is... Blinding! Itachi is a boss... I just wish there was another way he could have saved the village and Sasuke. And I RESPECT you for hating Sakura to that degree! She's a total cunt... And useless... And annoying! -_-#**_

_**MangaFanFictioner: (⊙o⊙)**__**？ **__**You... Are you reading my mind? Was it that obvious?! I mean, it's not entirely like you said, but... Just wow. I need to check my windows at night... **____**ω**____**And I'm glad you're liking my story! And I know... I hate myself for stopping my other one... I HATE MYSELF! *Cuts Self***_

_**BonnieBlueNinja: Yosh! I have to update fasteeerrr! Youth! (≧▽≦)/~┴┴**_

_**ssjzohan: I'm so happy that people enjoy my story... It brings tears to my eyes..! π_π**_

**Fanfic Suggestion (A Fanfiction You MUST Read!)**

**Book Title: The Somewhat Cracked Mind of Uchiha Itachi **

**Summary: AU: Itachi didn't kill the clan, instead he and his friends are teaching the next generation to drive them (and maybe the rest of Konoha) crazy. Won't that be fun? **

**Author: Kereea **

_**Anyway... Back on track... Read and Review! Don't forget to answer the question of the day! Bye nii~!**_


	7. Enter: Zabuza Momochi

_**Author's Note: I don't know what I'd do without my loyal fans... I'd probably not be writing right now. All of the reviews and followers and favorites are what's keeping this story alive. I just want to thank everyone... "Thank you all so much!"**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: What do you all read Fanfiction on? What do you all write Fanfiction on? **_

_**Answer: I read Fanfiction on my phone and tablet... And I write Fanfiction on my tablet!**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" the unreal one? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell.**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I'm currently trying to bribe K. Masashi to let me own a tiny, tiny section of it... But he never answers my text messages. •**__**﹏•**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes **

_Chapter 7_

**Wednesday, April 18th**

"By the way, Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi started, picking up the unconscious body. Tazuna stiffened, already knowing where this conversation was going.

"Y-Yeah, what?"

Kakashi turned, giving Tazuna a sharp look. "We need to talk." He walked over to a nearby tree, throwing the body in front of it. Kakashi swiftly took out a rope from his bag, tying the ninja to the tree. The ninja stirred awake then, looking slightly confused. When he realized where he was and what was going on, he looked enraged.

"Where's my brother?!" He demanded. "What have you done with him?!" I tensed as I heard his demonic voice again, but I didn't feel quite right. I'm still low on chakra, but I feel kinda dazed... I guess that's a symptom of chakra exhaustion.

"This guy is a Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Kakashi informed us, completely ignoring the snarling man. "His specialty is relentless attack... They keep fighting no matter the sacrifice."

"**Answer me!** Where's my brother?!" The ninja yelled again. Kakashi sighed, pointing to me. Wait, what?!

"This guy _persuaded_ your brother to leave. Who knows where he is now?" Kakashi shrugged. I tilted my head. Usually, I would glare and yell at Kakashi... But... I just feel...

"_Kakashi-sensei,_" I said, my voice sounding a bit weird for some reason. "I just told him to leave... So he left. There was no persuading done at all."

"Yeah! Jalen was awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, his energy and excitement coming back faster than I expected. "He just looked at that ninja and the guy was terrified! It was amazing!"

The ninja grunted, seeming to be deep in thought. He looked at Naruto and I, then back at Kakashi. He seemed to be thinking his words carefully. "...How did you find out about our ambush..?"

"A puddle... On a clear day... When it hasn't rained in weeks?" Kakashi answered as if it was that obvious. Well... I _guess_ it was...

"In that case, why did you leave it for the Genin to do the fighting?" Tazuna asked.

"I could have taken them out quickly, but then I'd have learned nothing," Kakashi explained. "I had to know _who their target was _and what were they after." He gave Tazuna another sharp look.

"Hm? What're you getting at?" Tazuna asked defensively.

"_This,_" Kakashi said simply, now sporting a bored look. "I wanted to know if they were after _us_, ninja attacking ninja, or if they were after _you_, the master bridge builder. When you put in your request, you asked for standard protection from robbers and highway men. You didn't say there were ninja looking for you... Hunting you down. If we knew this, it would be a B rank task or higher.

"Our task was to simply get you to your destination and protect you while you finished building your bridge. If we knew we'd be fielding attacks from enemy ninja, we would have staffed differently and charged for the cost of a B mission," Kakashi explained. "Apparently you have your reasons... But lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission!"

"We're Genin; this is too advanced for our level of training," Sakura said with an understanding smile. "We should go back... And I really think we should rest anyway since Jalen used that Jutsu and exerted himself." I snorted, but she was right. I don't think I'm gonna be fit to walk...

But... I just can't risk things like this. I'm pretty sure Kakashi should have taken both the ninja out... But I messed that up. If they have to stop traveling because of me... I can tell bad things will happen...

"Well... I guess heading back is the right move."

"No... We should keep going," I decided, nodding at my own words. They all turned to look at me, so I continued. "Basically, it's our 5th day traveling. If we don't hurry and get to the Land of Waves, it's obvious that guy's brother will try and attack. And I'm sure he has a very reasonable excuse as to why he lied..."

Everyone slowly nodded as they took in my words. Kakashi told us we'll be traveling across water after tomorrow... So it was obvious continuing was the right thing to do... It would be a real waste to turn back now.

"But what do we do with him..?" Sakura asked. Kakashi brought his head up and pondered this question.

"I think," I started out loud accidentally. "we should kill him." I instantly brought my hands to my mouth, cursing myself for what I said. I obviously wasn't going to kill him, so I shouldn't have said that! But... What else are we supposed to do? He was trying to kill us...

Kakashi stared at me in that bored expression of his before sighing. "You're spending way too much time with Anko..." I stubbornly turned away, a scowl on my face. "Everyone, go on ahead. I'll catch up with you in a little..."

"What are you going to do, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked. Kakashi gave her _the look_. "O-Oh..."

...

I'll never feel safe around Kakashi again. I mean... I didn't see him kill the man, but I could feel the difference in the air when he came back. I'm surprised he was able to muffle the scream... I'm sure he buried the corpse with an Earth Style Jutsu... I wonder how he killed him, though? I bet he snapped his neck; less bloody.

No one would even stand by Kakashi. Tazuna was the closest, and even that was far. Naruto was frequently looking all around us, making sure the other ninja wouldn't attack. I'm sure I would be able to sense him, but it's a little reassuring to have an extra set of eyes watching.

I obviously walked beside Naruto, my hand resting on my dagger. I wouldn't kill him if we manage to knock him out, but I won't hold back if he comes near me or Naruto. He'll be in the afterlife with his brother... That's a promise.

* * *

**Friday, April 19th**

We were on the boat to the Land of Waves, now. After waking up we almost immediately made it to the water, everyone getting on a kinda small wooden boat. The man that was taking us there warned us that we needed to be quiet. Everyone just nodded; that wouldn't be much of a problem.

I'm actually pretty scared of boats, though. I love the rain... I love showers... But drowning is my worst fear. I wonder why..? So, as you might already know, I'm still pretty tired from using all that chakra, and I'm scared; I was deadly quiet.

The mist was _so, so_ thick... I'm surprised it didn't choke us! You couldn't tell if it was night or day... If you looked up all you saw was grey. Grey...

"This fog is so thick... You can't see anything," Sakura whispered, probably trying to start a conversation. Ever since Kakashi came back... We've been a little quiet.

After a moment of silence the man taking us to the Land of Waves said, "The bridge isn't far now. Our destination's just ahead; the Land of Waves."

I looked up and suppressed a gasp when I saw part of the bridge. It was humongous..! I can't really explain it, because it's a giant bridge, what more do you say? But... It's the biggest thing I've ever seen... Tazuna is trying to finish _this_ thing?! That goal seems a little impossible...

"**WOAH! IT'S HUGE!**" Naruto shouted, madly grinning. Since we were so quiet, it was much louder than it should have been...

"Wha-?! Quiet! I told you no noise!" The man rowing the boat yelled/whispered at Naruto. "Why do you think we're traveling like this, huh? Cutting off the engine and rowing... Moving through the dense fog... It's so they don't see us!" Naruto cupped his mouth with his hands almost instantly. Sakura and Sasuke turned and gave the blonde an irritated look while Kakashi gave Tazuna that _This Is All Very Suspicious_ look. It was mixed with his usual bored look, making him look a little stupid.

"Mr. Tazuna," Kakashi started. Tazuna jumped from suddenly having Kakashi's attention on him, but slowly brought his head down. Kakashi continued. "Before we reach the pier, I want to ask you something." Tazuna didn't respond at all... He just kept his head down, his hat hiding his face from everyone. "The men who're after you... I need to know why. If you don't tell us, I'm afraid we'll have to end this mission once we drop you ashore."

"Kakashi-sensei!" I yelled, but shut up completely when his gaze landed on me. I didn't want us to stop the mission, but I didn't want Kakashi to kill me... I'm torn between conflicting feelings..!

"...I have no choice but to tell you," Tazuna sighed, looking up at us. "No... I want you to know the truth. Like you said; this _is_ above the scope of the original mission. The one who seeks my life is a very short man who casts a very long and deadly shadow."

"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi pirated. Tazuna slowly nodded. By now, everyone was sticking their noses into this conversation. "Hm... Who is it?"

"You know him, at least I'm sure you've heard his name before. He's one of the wealthiest men in the world; the Shipping Magnet, Gato."

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. "Hm? Gato? Of Gato Transport?" Tazuna nodded. "He's a business leader... Everyone knows him..!" Kakashi continued. Wow... Is this Gato really so bad..? And why would he want Tazuna's life?

"Who? Who? What? What?" Naruto was shaking in anticipation; he was definitely into this conversation. But... If this Gato person wants Tazuna's life... And we're here to protect his life...

That means this Gato person is bad... And that he's also going to have to try and kill us..! Meaning... He's our enemy...

"Gato... Is a very powerful tycoon from a famous company, that's true. But below the surface... With the same ruthless methods he uses to take over businesses and nations... He sells drugs and contraband," Tazuna informed.

"What's contraband?" I asked him.

Instead of Tazuna answering, Sakura did. "They're basically items that are illegal to have. Duh! Don't you know that?!"

"If... If I did know..." I placed a hand on my forehead, trying to calm down. "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking, bitch. And I asked Mr. Tazuna, not you..."

"It doesn't matter who you asked! You didn't know, for some odd reason, and I informed you! You should be a little more grateful, you damn moron..."

I huffed and turned away. I need to just stop before I push this dog off of the boat. I'm pretty sure she can't swim... And then she'll be all wet and miserable for the whole day... Yeah... That would be pretty _nice_..!

"Anyway... That girl's right. He sells drugs and illegal items using gangs and ninja," Tazuna told me. "It was one year ago when Gato first set his sights on the Land of Waves. He came over to our island and used his vast wealth to take total control of our transport and shipping. Anyone who tried to stand in his way simply... _Disappeared_."

I shivered at the tone of his voice. It was cold and his face was grim... I wouldn't be surprised if some of his closest friends disappeared. Actually... I have a strange feeling someone that he knew and cared for disappeared... I don't know why...

"In an island nation a man who controls the sea controls **everything**; finance, government, our very _**lives!**_" Tazuna seemed to be getting a little agitated... I can only imagine the hardships he must have been facing. "But there's one thing he fears: The bridge!"

Ah, yes... Of course. If you make a bridge then everyone he loves will die! If you make a bridge then all his money will disappear! Making a bridge is a monstrosity..! Why would you ever do such a thing?!

"When it is complete, it will join us to the land and that will break his control," Tazuna explained. "_I_ am the bridge builder."

"So that's it," Sakura said in a kind of patronizing way. "Since you're in charge of the bridge, you're standing in this gangster's way."

"That means... Those guys we fought in the forest... They were working for Gato," Sasuke summarized. Wow..! The mute talks!

Naruto nodded in a way that made it looked like he understood completely, but the bit of sweat on his forehead told otherwise. He was confused... I can tell.

Kakashi shook his head. "I don't understand. If you knew he was dangerous, knew he'd send ninja to eliminate you, why did you hide that from us?" Oh, yeah..! He could have just hired some stronger Jounin, or something! Then we wouldn't be in this situation. But... I feel like he has a really good reason...

"Because the Land of Waves," he looked down. "Is a small, impoverished nation. Even our nobles have little money. The common people who are building this bridge, they can't pay for an A or B rank mission; It's too expensive! If you end the mission when you drop me ashore... There will be no bridge. They'll assassinate me before I reach home."

Oh, damn... I was right. That's a really good reason. I'm not the type of person that would merrily go on their way knowing that the man you've spent a bit of time with is being killed. I may act indifferent to everyone besides Naruto, but I truly don't want them to die.

"But... Don't feel bad about that," Tazuna said a little cheerfully. "Of course my sweet little grandson will be upset; he'll cry _grandad! I want my grandad!_"

"A-Awww..."

"Oh! And my daughter will condemn the ninja of your village, denouncing and blaming you for abandoning the life of her father and living her life in sorrow," Tazuna said matter-of-factly. "Ah, well... It's not your fault. Forget it."

"Awwwww..."

Naruto, Sakura, and I looked at each other guiltily. We all had a mental connection for a moment that basically said, "We can't do this! We _really_ can't do this!"

Kakashi tapped on his ninja headband, thinking it over. I swear, if he says that we'll leave him... I'll never speak to Kakashi again. Ever..! "Well... I guess we have no other choice," Kakashi sheepishly smiled. "We'll have to keep guarding you."

"Oh~ I'm very grateful," Tazuna said, looking a bit astonished. But I could see it..! I could see the glint of victory in his lying eyes!

"We're approaching the shore," the rower suddenly said. "Tazuna, we've been very fortunate; no one has noticed us so far."

"Nice going."

We began rowing into what looked like a tunnel. There were lights on the ceiling to direct us to keep going forward, but that was the obvious way to go with the bright light at the end of the tunnel. It looked so much more clearer than where we just left, and it effectively told me it was daytime outside still.

"Wow," I mumbled, looking around as we left the tunnel. The water was so clear that I could see every single detail of my face looking at it! There were trees growing out of the water, too! The air was so clean and fresh that I just wanted to take a deep breath. I resisted the urge, but it didn't stop everyone from realizing how infatuated I was with this place. It looked **heavenly**..!

We stopped by the pier and everyone got off one by one. I was the first to get off; I didn't want to be on that boat anymore than I needed to. There were poorly built houses around us in a variety of different colors. I sense that people live here, though...

"That's as far as I go," the man said, still on the boat. "Good luck."

"Right," Tazuna nodded. "Thank you for taking such a risk."

"Just be careful." And with that he started up the engine and rode away. We all watched him leave... He was a brave man... It would be a shame if a ninja just suddenly killed him for helping us.

"Okay. Take me to my home, and I mean get me there in one piece," Tazuna ordered. Aww... I was kind of hoping that this was the village. I guess I can't get a break, huh?

"Right," Kakashi nodded, and we were now walking to the forest. There was a trail, so we weren't just going forest hunting, but I'm still wary at how Tazuna can easily remember how to get here. He's only came to our village once, right? It doesn't make much sense...

An hour later of just walking through the forest... I sensed it. It was the most troubling chakra I've ever sensed. I felt more than just in danger... I felt like I was in a life threatening situation. Well, duh... But it was just awful. My legs were practically shaking a hole into the ground... I couldn't grab my dagger because I just felt frozen. I felt like he was looking at just _me..!_

I slowly turned my head to look directly at him, or his hiding spot. He was hiding in the bushes... If we walk a little more he'd have a perfect chance to attack!

Kakashi noticed that I stopped walking and turned around, giving me a skeptical look. I just slowly pointed to the bush that the ninja was hiding in... And Kakashi seemed to completely understand almost immediately.

He didn't do anything about it, though... He just whispered something to the bridge builder and the old man slowed down his walk. Naruto suddenly rushed up ahead, making both Kakashi and I gasp in shock. He's gonna attack Naruto..!

"Over there!" Naruto exclaimed, quickly taking out a kunai and throwing it at a bush. It was the wrong one, though... The one with the ninja was on the other side of the trail..!

I waited in pure agony for the ninja to attack... But he never did. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was sleeping.

"Hmph... It was just a mouse," Naruto said when nothing popped out of the bush, bringing a hand to his hair and trying to look cool.

"**Mouse?! Yeah, right! Everyone can see through your stupid act! You're so obvious it's embarrassing!**" Sakura yelled. I expected Kakashi and Tazuna to say something, but they just had a grim look on their faces.

I suddenly felt the energy to move go through my body. I slipped out a kunai and charged at Naruto, standing defensively in front of him. I threw the kunai straight at the spot where the ninja was hiding, and I felt his chakra spike. I suddenly sensed him in the trees, but before I could do anything Sakura stared to yell.

"**Damn it, Jalen! Don't just do random things like that!**" Sakura yelled, waving her fist at me.

"There's a ninja here, you stupid cunt!"

"Yeah, right! You're just acting like a stupid kid!"

Kakashi walked over to the bush where I threw the kunai at and started to inspect. I ignored Sakura and looked, too, gasping as I saw a snow rabbit. I almost hit it with my kunai... I almost killed a defenseless animal!

Sakura gasped, too. "Jalen! Look what you did!" I ignored the pink haired dog and started to think. I know that this snow rabbit wasn't the one giving off that strong chakra... And that spike in chakra before I threw the kunai... Meaning...

He must have used the Substitution Jutsu..! And he's above us!

"Look out!" Kakashi shouted. I looked up and almost fainted when I saw a giant sword spinning in the air about to cut our heads off. The only reason my head didn't get cut off is because I actually did faint a little and the sword missed my head by, like, an inch!

I fell to the ground and desperately looked around, seeing if everyone else was alright. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna was fine... They were all still on the ground. Kakashi was already up, looking up at a tree. I followed his gaze and gasped when I saw a man standing on top of his sword. The sword was stuck inside the tree... It was the sword that almost decapitated all of us.

The man... No... I remember him... Zabuza! Zabuza is a tall and muscular man with pale skin, short and spiky black hair, brown eyes, and small eyebrows. He's wearing bandages like a mask over the bottom half of his face, and he's wearing his Hidden Mist ninja headband on the side of his head. He's not wearing a shirt for some odd reason, the only thing covering his chest being a belt. He has on baggy pants with stripes, wrist warmers, and matching elbow warmers.

This guy... Looks dangerous.

"Well, well... If it isn't Zabuza Momochi; rogue ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Kakashi started, casually putting his hands in his pocket and walking up to the tree. Zabuza glowered over Kakashi, but an idiot could see the glint of amusement in his eyes.

Naruto suddenly sprinted past me, heading for Zabuza. Kakashi brought his arm out and stopped the boy from going any further, much to the boy's annoyance. "What are you doing?!"

"You're in the way," Kakashi said simply, his voice serious. "Get back."

"But, why?!" Naruto yelled, glaring daggers at both Zabuza and Kakashi.

"He's not like those other ninja. He's in a _whooole_ other league," Kakashi told the kid. "If he's our opponent, I'll need this," he brought his hand to his face and grabbed his ninja headband. I-Is he going to show his Sharingan? I gotta see this... "_**This could be treacherous..!**_"

* * *

_**Author's Note: Yeah... I really wanted to write more, but I wanted to hurry up and update. And... Yeah. I hope you all liked this! Read and Review! And don't forget the question of the day! Oh, and this story has been added into 2 communities! Yay! Bye nii~!**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**war sage: Arigatou~! ╰**__**（￣▽￣）╭**_

_**Firetrail: *crys with you* I know... It's terrible, isn't it?! π_π I really want him to get his memories back... But having his memories erased will shape his character and lead to a lot of conflict. And stories with conflict is the bomb! You'll see in later chapters! **_

_**Kage Kurai: Are you the only one answering my questions? I think you are... **__**ˍ**__**Anyway, I love reading your answers! Your dream of killing Sakura and living happily ever after just made me flat out burst out laughing! And you actually gave me a very good idea... Poor, poor Sakura...**_

_**susannahblack19: I'm glad you're liking my story! Your reviews just make me get beettteeeerrr! ╭**__**（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╭（′▽‵）╯ **__**Yeah!**_

_** .awesome3612: Well, he wasn't exactly favoring him... Naruto IS the only jinchuriki of the Hidden Leaf Village. Anyway, thanks for liking the story!**_

* * *

**Fanfic Suggestion (A Fanfiction You MUST Read!)**

**Book Title: Teach Your Children Well**

**Summary: After Madara's final attack on the village, Rokudaime Kakashi uncovers a time-travel scroll. Now he's Team Seven's sensei again. And this time, he's going to do things differently. A time travel fic. **

**Author: AvocadoLove**


	8. Depression, Death, and The Other Me!

_**Author's Note: Oh~! Hello people! How are you all doing? I've been better, but nothing a little writing can't fix! And I'm glad that people are favoriting and following and reviewing this story. But, I get a lot of favorites and followers, but not much of you guys review. I'm fine with that as long as the number of chapters don't past the number of reviews, but just know that reviews motivate me a lot, okay? Anyway... Enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: Have any of you ever had any Naruto dreams? If so, tell me about one of them. **_

_**Answer: I had a Naruto dream where Tazuna, Konohamaru, and Kakashi was inside of my house. Or rather, a mixed up version of my house. Konohamaru was sitting down eating, Tazuna was standing up and he asked me "What's wrong with you?" and Kakashi was just nonchalantly standing, not saying a word.**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" the unreal one? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell.**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. The police came to my door when I didn't put this disclaimer in my other Naruto story... So I guess I NEED to say it. I DON'T OWN NARUTO, DAMN IT!**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes **

_Chapter 8_

**Friday, April 19th**

"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye... Did I get that right?" Zabuza asked, his voice deep but strangely amusing. Sasuke visibly stiffened when he heard Sharingan... "It's too bad, huh? But you'll have to hand over the old man."

"Now, quick! Manji Formation!" Kakashi ordered. "Protect the bridge builder and stay out of this fight!" The tone of his voice told us that we'd better not defy him... Or we'd be severely punished. "I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it!" Kakashi slowly, dramatically pulled up his headband, showing his Sharingan eye! "**I'm ready.**"

There was a scar going across his red-colored eye, signifying his real eye was probably cut. The Sharingan looked awesome..! It... It's basically a red-colored eye with black dots on it. It might not sound like much, but it's awesome!

"Well... Looks like I get to see the Sharingan in action. This is an honour," Zabuza said.

"Everyone keeps saying _Sharingan, Sharingan!_ Would someone please tell me what Sharingan is?!" Naruto yelled. I didn't answer; too mesmerized by Kakashi's eye. And I don't think I'd have an excuse to how I know what it is.

"Sharingan; a rare power... It resides in the eyes," Sasuke started. "The user of this Visual Jutsu, or Dojutsu, can instantly see or comprehend any Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu and reflect the attack back on the attacker. The Sharingan is a special, rare form of Dojutsu," he explained. "However, there's more to the Sharingan than that. A lot more..."

"You got it right, boy. But you only scratched the surface," Zabuza said. "The Sharingan can analyze an oppenent's technique and then copy it to the smallest detail."

Um... How is that any different than what Sasuke said? _You_, Zabuza, were the one that only scratched the surface.

He paused, turning to look at Kakashi. "As for you, Jounin, in the Assassination Unit of the Hidden Mist... We had a standing order to destroy you on site. Your profile was in our Bingo Book, it called you The Man Who Copied Over 1000 Jutsu; Kakashi... **The Copy Ninja.**"

Suddenly, I felt a spike in Zabuza's chakra, meaning he used a Jutsu. Then, the whole area became filled with mist... Chakra-made mist... Damn it..!

"_Gak!_" I instantly fell on my knees, clutching my own neck. Why did the mist have to be filled with chakra?! Why?! It's so not fair! I'm at a huge disadvantage because of this! I can't _**breathe! **_"_Gaah- Gurk-!_"

"Huh?! Jalen, what's wrong?!" Kakashi and Naruto asked at the same time. I tried to tell them! I tried to tell them that I'm breathing in this horrid chakra and it's choking me, but I couldn't! I'm... Am I really going to die just because of something like inhaling too much chakra?! No... I promised I'd protect Naruto... I promised I'd always be there for him..!

_**And... And I don't want to die..! **_

I mean, sure, I get really depressed at times and suicide comes to mind... But I just don't have the guts to do it! This isn't a good attribute for a ninja, but I'm afraid of death! It's not my fault, though... Before I became a ninja I was a regular person!

I should have known this was going to happen, though... I practically foreshadowed my own death! I remember saying I'm terrified of drowning... And now I'm practically drowning in chakra! It's just... Not fair... It's not fair!

My eyesight suddenly became blurry as I fell on my side. I refuse to cry... I refuse to cry in front of everyone, but... The tears just don't stop welling up! I can't make a sound... I just want to breathe! I try to reach for something, some sort of air, but all I grab is more chakra that eventually goes into my mouth!

Everything that everyone is saying just sounds muffled out at this point. My chest just feels on fire... I feel my lungs about to explode! My vision is getting worse... The tears are coming out faster... My body isn't moving... I can't breathe... I feel like something is clogging up my throat..!

This is it, I guess... But, you know? Ignoring the pain in my chest... I feel sorta at peace. I feel like I'm going into some sort of dream... I _want_ to die at this point. There's nothing for me here. I don't belong in this world. I feel like humans need _love_ to really feel alive, and without my mom, I don't have any love...

Hehehe... That means I was already dead. I was just a broken soul stumbling around in a dead body. I'm **nothing.** And that's the truth... I welcome death! I believe in a God, but if I just end up in darkness I'd be totally fine with it. Anything's better than living in a fake world like this...

So I slowly close my eyes and try to greet death with one of my awkward smiles.

...

Or that's what I thought. You probably suspected I wasn't going to die, but I didn't. Everything happening may be a silly story to you, but it's painfully real to me. I didn't think anything when I woke up in a completely dark room. My mind was just blank.

Only a few seconds later did the gears in my head start to turn and plenty of thoughts flooded my head. Where am I? What happened? What do I do?

"I'm not dead."

That somehow found it's way coming out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think it. And when that statement _did_ come to my confused mind I didn't know what to feel about it. Happy I'm not dead? Sad I didn't die? Mad that my suffering isn't over? The feelings just conflicted with each other in a battle for dominance.

"Where am I?"

That simple question brought the "I'm not dead" to the back of my head in a heartbeat. I really didn't know where I was, and not knowing is strangely scary. Then again, ignorance _is_ bliss. If I found out that I was in a jail cell awaiting my execution, I would be terrified. If I didn't know I was in a jail cell awaiting death, I'd be in a state of calmed confusion for a bit. Until the executioner comes, that is.

Thinking of being executed brought me into a frenzy of emotions. I found the strength to stand up on my two feet (I woke up sitting upright) and searched around, looking for a source of light. It was abnormally pitch-black wherever I was, so I really couldn't see _anything!_ I tried to find a wall to find a light switch to find light, but either this is a gigantic room or I'm outside, because I couldn't feel anything. Now that my brain is fully functioning, I realize I can't even feel the ground under me!

"W-Where am I?!" That question pops up in my head more violently as start to run. My breathing gets ragged and a drop of sweat rolls down my face. Panic. That's what usually gets humans in trouble. They don't think properly because of fear and they make stupid, rash decisions. Knowing this, you'd think I'd stop aimlessly running around and try to calm down and think.

Fear is _very_ powerful. It makes the rational thoughts seem like the stupid thoughts. Running around in blind panic seems to be the smart thing in this situation. That's what my gut's telling me, at least. So that's what I do. I run around and desperately try to find something around me that's solid. Anything is fine at this point!

_Naruto!_ The name stops me from moving. It makes me think for a bit.

It makes me remember that I've been in the Naruto world for the past month... It makes me remember how desperately I've tried getting out, sometimes to the point of stabbing my own hand to see if I'm dreaming... It makes me remember that I really don't have anyone to share these emotions of distress with...

No... That's not true. I can tell Naruto about these problems... I can even tell Anko about these problems! But, why, though?! And how?! Why am I just suddenly in the Naruto world? Why don't I have any memories from my real life? And how am I going to get these feeling across? They wouldn't understand... They wouldn't understand the pain I'm going through!

These depressing thoughts lead to the fact that I'm really just a lost soul. I'm nothing... Nothing...

"Aww... Don't get so depressed on me, man."

I instantly tense at the unknown voice I just heard. It sounded strangely familiar, but my ninja mind told me it was dangerous. The voice was lazy-like, kinda arrogant even! It scared me... I wanted to see who it was! I don't like the darkness! Why can't I just _die_ in peace?!

"That's dangerous thinkin', man," the voice said. I thought for a minute why he said something as random as that, but then I realized he was responding to _me!_

"W-Who are you..? _Where_ are you?!" I demanded, my voice getting higher with each word.

A small ball of light appeared in front of me. It just floated there for a minute before it started getting bigger and bigger... Then the light started to change in shape, slightly resembling a person. Then... And this is really hard to explain... A person _did_ come out of the light!

The boy looked about my age. He had the messiest blue hair I've ever seen! Scratches plagued his whole body (face, arms, legs) and a noticeable scar was on his cheek. There was also a band-aid on his nose. He was wearing a black T-shirt and an orange jacket, although the shirt was too big for him and the jacket was pretty dirty. He had what looked like a cross on his neck, too. He also had on blue shorts and blue ninja sandals... He was the splitting image of me!

The only reason I couldn't identify him sooner was because of his bright red eyes, in comparison to my dull grey ones.

"You're... Me," I managed to choke out, slightly stepping back. With the red eyes I (he) looked pretty scary... Not to mention the smirk settled on my (his) face. Wait... So when he was talking... That was my voice?! My voice doesn't sound so lazy and arrogant, right?!

"It does," he answered my question... The question that I didn't even _say! _"And no, I'm not you. _You_ always have that _embarrassin'_ melancholic look, while _I_ look cool, if I say so myself."

"Shut up!" I yelled, sensing the tension between us forming. "We look the same! And if I have something to say about it, you look more like a freak..."

"A freak?" He mused, the smirk never leaving his face. "I look powerful. You look like a weak damsel in distress." I'm... I'm getting annoyed...

"Who the hell are you to tell me these things?! I don't even know you, I don't know anything right now! What's going on?! Where am I?! What even happened?!"

"You _don't_ know anything. That's somethin' else that differs between us; you're clueless while I'm all knowledgeable."

"You're pissing me off, you know..?"

He shrugged. "Who knows how long you'll be here? We might as well get to know each other... I haven't had a conversation with anyone in a while."

Wait... Okay... I need to think. Some random boy with a bigger ego than Sasuke-bastard has suddenly appeared in front of me. I don't know where I am... I don't know what's going on... I need to think. I need answers. Yeah, that's right. Answers...

"Sasuke-bastard? That's a good nickname, but don't you think you stole it from someone? I personally think Sakura-bitch is more original th-"

"Are you reading my mind?!"

"Huh? Why not?"

"I-It's _my_ mind!"

"We're the same person... More or less."

"You just told me you weren't me a minute ago!"

"I'm not."

...

"GAHHH! YOU'RE GETTING ON MY FUCKING NERVES!"

"That means we're gettin' closer," he grinned, plopping himself on the floor... Or... Whatever's keeping us standing. "Anyway, you need answers, right? I can answer a few of your questions, I suppose."

"A few?"

"If I answer everything you want then you won't come back, now will you?" He replied with a glint in his eyes. It looked mischievous, but something told me it wasn't entirely. "Or rather, you won't come back voluntarily."

"I'm confused."

"'Course you are."

This... Is becoming irritating. I can't insult him because then I'd practically be talking about myself, and I don't know anything about him while he seems to know everything about me.

"I do know everything about you. A lot more than I'd want, though. And I like how you always think of insulting somebody..."

"Can you stop reading my mind?!" I asked, squinting my eyes in annoyance. Just having this conversation with yourself is enough to make you go crazy! And why do I sound so condescending?!

"Maybe it's a habit I- _We_ got from Kabuto," the other me said, his eyes going down in that split second of sadness. "Anyway, as I said earlier, I don't know how long you'll be here, so I'll answer only three of your questions."

Three questions? That's all I get?! I have so many questions that I can make a freaking book, damn it! But, I need to think carefully about this... I need to ask the most important questions first, and then the next time I'm here I'll ask the rest. Speaking of being here...

"Where am I right now? And who are you?" I asked.

His face grew back into his already signature grin as he said, "That was your first two questions. See? You're stupid." W-Wha?! D-Damn it! This isn't fair! It's not fair at all..!

"Life isn't fair," he mumbled. His smile was gone the second the sentence was finished. "You're basically inside of your mind. You would most likely be dead right now if it wasn't for me... I used a lot of my power to keep your consciousness from leaving this world. In other words, you're in a half-alive, half-dead state."

I nodded as the information filled my brain. "Meaning... It's your fault I'm still alive..."

His frown deepened. "First, you aren't alive. If that mist doesn't go away and air isn't put back into your body; you will die. You're just in a prolonged state of unconsciousness, you could say. Second, you're really the most idiotic person I've ever come across."

Idiotic person he's ever come across? Why?! Because I choked on chakra?! I don't see anything stupid about that... I could have really died! It hurt, damn it!

"Not because you were choking, dumbass! It's because you really think your life right now is so awful that death would be a freakin' paradise!" He screamed, quickly stepping up and grabbing my collar! "What the hell is wrong with _you_ anyway?! I don't think anything bad has happened to _you,_ am I right?! 'Course I am, idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"

T-That fucking bastard! Who the hell is he to tell me _anything_ right now?! I'm the one hurting right now..! I'm the one who was suddenly, with no warning at all, sent into this fake world... Away from everyone I love..!

"You?! Hurting?! You're livin' the fuckin' dream right now!"

"Stop reading my mind!" I screamed, grabbing his arm and pushing him away from me. "And you don't understand, so stop acting like you do! I'd much rather be in the _real_ world with my family right now! I'd at least feel a little better if I had my memories, but I'm stuck with these _fake_, tortuous memories that haunt me every single night!"

"**You never had to experience those so-called fake memories!**"

I suddenly stumbled, the sentence he just yelled being too powerful. Did he say..?

He growled, turning around in a childish huff. "As for your second question; I'm the boy that you've inhabited. No... That sounds wrong. You're in my body, meaning the _fake_ memories you have are my memories." I blinked.

Wait... Yeah, that would make a lot of sense... The memories I have are his memories. I'm inside of his body... Meaning...

"Meaning: When you were somehow placed in my body, I was locked up in your subconscious," he mumbled, still not looking at me. "You basically stole my body... And _you're_ cryin'?! I've never cried... Not once. Not since I've escaped," he suddenly laughed. "I was the one tortured, not you. I was the one hurting, not you. You just have the unsatisfaction of having my hardest moments etched into your mind..."

...What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry? I'm sorry that I've been crying because I've lost everything while you had **nothing** to lose?! Yeah, right!

"You were reading my memories, right?! You know that I don't give a shit, right?" My voice was surprisingly cold, my eyes sharp. "Actually, you should probably be saying sorry to me, right? You were the one that put these useless memories in me, _right?_ That means you have my memories, **right?** Just sitting in my mind while you nonchalantly replay all the times I've gotten a hug from my mother, _**right?**_" He didn't answer.

Instead, he just burst out laughing! Like a maniac! "_I'm glad you say that! Hahaha!_" He turned around, madly grinning. "We're on the same page then! Yes, I _do_ have all of your _fake, precious_ memories stored in my brain! I have wonderful dreams while you have nightmares! You cringe from recalling being stuck in the eye with a needle while I laugh at recalling funny moments! We're completely different, **yet...**" His voice suddenly deepened, the air around us getting a little chilly. "**We're in the same situation, sort of. You're stuck inside of my body in my world while I'm stuck inside of your mind, watching your world like a movie. You don't give a shit about my past suffering while I don't give a shit about your present suffering.**"

My vision suddenly started getting a bit blurry, his red eyes getting a bit bright. I had to fight a sudden drowsiness just to keep looking at him, much less stand up!

"Ah? Time to leave already?" He blinked innocently. "You could either end up back in my world or you could end up in the afterlife. Maybe when you die I'd get my body back?" He brought his finger to his chin, seeming to be in thought. "Anyway, if you do manage to survive and wake back up in my world, try not to act all suicidal, alright? I have a reputation to uphold, okay?"

N-No... No! I can't leave yet! I still have so many more things I need to ask! I have so, so many things... And... Why does he remember... Remember having a needle stuck in... His... E-Eye... I-If..? And Kabuto... So sleepy...

And before I knew anything... I blacked out...

**What Jalen Didn't See **

**A single tear slid down the other Jalen's face**

* * *

_**Author's Note: Yeah... I'm so awkward. Anyway! I really tried my best at another angst scene... But I've never drowned before so I had to do research on it and I'm really not a depressing person in real life... So it was kinda hard to write. I hope you all like anyway! ⊙**__**﹏⊙**_

_**And what's your first impression of the other Jalen? Like him? Hate him? And what did you all think when the main character Jalen said such uncharacteristic things? What will happen next? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell...**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**Kage Kurai: Tablet Buddies~!**_

* * *

_**That was all this time? How weak... ╮(╯_╰)╭**_

* * *

**Fanfic Suggestion (A Fanfiction You Must Read!)**

**Book Title: Chipped Mask **

**Summary: "No one just falls into another world. It just doesn't happen." Full summary inside. Self-insert, Oc. **

**Author: Darkpetal16**

* * *

_**Bye nii~!**_


	9. Tazuna's House!

_**Author's Note: Hiya Luckies~! Uh... Nothing much to say here... I think... Uh... Yeah. Enjoy the chapter?**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: Uh... The Question of the Day today is... To ask me a question..! Y-Yeah... Go on! Ask those questions, people! (Or should I say person? Kage Kurai is the only one answering these questions... *Sob* ::_:: )**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated T for language. OC Self-insert**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... What? Were you expecting something else?**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes **

_Chapter 9_

**Friday, April 19th**

I woke up with a killer headache. The type of headache that just make you want to cry. The type of headache that as soon as you move it feels like someone just shoved a knife in your skull. That type of headache.

I instantly figured out I was being carried by someone, but I couldn't see who because my eyes were involuntarily shut from tiredness and the intense headache. The only way I figured out that it was Naruto carrying me was because I've grown accustomed to his ramen smell.

I was wet, too. No... That's an understatement. I was _soaked._ My clothes felt heavy with all of the water in them and water droplets fell from my hair. Naruto was wet, too. Why are we wet? Think, Jalen.. Think... What's going on..?

I... I choked on chakra after we met... Zabuza! Yeah, Zabuza! Are we still in danger?! Well, no, obviously... Since no one's talking and Naruto is casually carrying me while walking. And... After I choked... I woke up inside... My mind..? Yeah, that's where I was. My mind... And I met someone. I met myself! No... That bastard I met wasn't me... He definitely wasn't me...

**Your head's still attached to your head, stupid? Damn it... I just wish you could've died. Zabuza must've been slackin'...**

"W-Whaa!" I jumped and landed on my back, wincing at the pain. Naruto instantly gasped and turned around, his eyes wide as he saw me.

"Jalen!" He exclaimed, a smile forming on his face. Looking around, I saw Sakura and Sasuke turning around, both giving mixed reactions when they saw me. Sakura looked a little happy while Sasuke looked confused, but both of their faces were contorted in a bit of pain. No. Not pain... The bags they had in their hands were getting a bit too heavy, I bet.

Tazuna still had on his unhappy face when I looked at him, and Kakashi was slumped on his back, unconscious. Woah... What happened? It didn't take long for me to realize everyone was wet...

"Jalen? Are you alright? Why did you scream just now?" Sakura asked. She then gave Naruto an accusing look. "You dropped him, didn't you, Naruto?" Of course... She blames Naruto for everything. It's Naruto's fault that someone is dying right now. It's Naruto's fault that my head hurts. It's Naruto's fault that Sakura's ugly. _Everything's_ just Naruto's fault.

Anyway, why did I scream? I could have sworn I heard someone whispering in my ear, or something...

**No one was whisperin' in your ear, stupid. It's me, remember? The Jalen in your mind! Your other self, basically! Actually... I'm not you. I'm me. You're you. You ended up in my body while I ended up in your mind. Our memories were, uh, switched. Although... Not entirely. But that's something for ano- **

"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" I screamed. Oh, yeah! I remember now! I remember entirely now! I'm pissed off!

While I glared at the annoyance in my head, everyone else was giving me a confused and slightly worried look. Uh... Did I yell out loud?

**Yes... Yes, you did, stupid. **

I sheepishly smiled at everyone before I turned around, glaring again. "How am I supposed to communicate with you? Better yet... How are you talking to me?" I whispered. I could almost _see_ the smile on his face.

**Don't you know, stupid? You can communicate with me through telepathy. Ya know..? Through your mind. I'm sure you've read Fanfiction like this. **

I blinked. _Excuse me? _

**Sorry, I forgot. Memory loss and junk. Anyway, I can still read your mind, so all you have to do is think what you want to tell me and I'll get it. Like... A mailin' service. **

I sweatdropped._ That... I guess that makes sense. Considering you're stuck in my mind, bastard. Anyway, why are you talking to me?! I'm pretty sure you couldn't talk to me before this! _

**I'm not obliged to answer anymore of your questions, stupid. I said you can only get three, and you just asked your last one. Meanin'... Don't ask me anything else because I won't answer. Got it? Good. **

_W-Wait! No! Come on! I just woke up, so my brain wasn't at it's maximum! _

**Is it ever? **

_...When can I ask you more, then?_

**When I feel like it. In case you've forgotten, I don't like you. And you efficiently got across that you don't like me. I, personally, want you dead. I'm only speculatin', but I think if you die I'd get my body back. I'm just speculatin', though. **

_That's..! But..! UGH! _I groaned in defeat, stomping the ground childishly.

"Hey, Jalen... You're acting dumber than usual," Sakura commented, making me sweatdrop again. I forgot about them behind me... "What happened to you, anyway? You have a lot of explaining to do."

I sighed as I turned around, giving Sakura a tired look. "I choked on chakra, okay? That's pretty much all that happened. I'd explain more, but _I_ actually have a few questions I'd like answered. What happened to Zabuza? Why is Kakashi-sensei unconscious? Why are you two carrying Tazuna's bags? And why are we all wet?"

**One of those questions are very unnecessary, stupid. And I know each of those answers, considerin' I have your memories of watching the Anime. Heh... If I didn't want you dead you'd have a good advantage over everything. **

_Shut up. I know I can't ask someone as vindictive as you. Just try and keep quiet in my head, alright? I don't need you distracting me. _

Naruto's face twisted in a bit of anger. "After Kakashi-sensei and us struggled against Zabuza, this boy just came out of nowhere and killed him! After all that work we did he just came out of nowhere and killed him!"

**Haku... **

_Excuse me? _

**Nothing~**

"We're all wet because Kakashi-sensei used this super awesome Water Jutsu and a huge tsunami came crashing like _whooooosshhhh_ and everyone was like _waaaaaaaahhhhh_ and-"

"Naruto!" Sakura punched the boy on the head, growling. "Stop exaggerating!" We were walking again by now. "Anyway, Jalen... How do you choke on chakra? I don't get it... And why?"

I sighed again, annoyed that Sakura was being a bitch again but too tired to do anything about it. "I'm very sensitive to chakra, I guess. I sense it all in the air and everywhere. When Zabuza made the mist appear it was filled with chakra and I just started to choke."

**You can't choke on chakra, idiot. You believed you were chokin' on chakra and the drownin' effect happened. You were too panicky to calm down and your throat involuntary closed up. I wonder how you got air back inside you, though? **

I don't know why, but I **swear** I could _feel_ him smirking! How _did_ I get air back inside me, though? If what my mind is telling me...

I'm sure it doesn't matter. I'm almost positive it doesn't matter.

**Why don't you go on and ask? Whoever did it, it'll be hilarious for me either way! **

_I hate you..._

I didn't ask, though. I, personally, don't care. Whoever saved my life, well, good for them. It's not going to change that I hate Sakura and Sasuke, I dislike Tazuna, and Kakashi just makes me mad sometimes. It doesn't change anything!

"Anyway, all of my questions weren't answered. What happened?"

Naruto smiled again, his eyes threatening to explode in a flash of light. "Kakashi did this super awesome Water Jutsu and everything went _wwwwhhhhooooo-_"

"Not that, you **idiot!**" Sakura obviously kicked Naruto in the stomach, making him yelp in pain as he bent over. "Kakashi-sensei fainted for some reason after Zabuza and the boy left. Tazuna said that we'll be there in about 30 minutes... And by there I mean his house."

I nodded. "So that's why Tazuna is carrying Kakashi-sensei while you two are carrying his bags... And Naruto was carrying me..."

"We'll be there in about 15 more minutes," Tazuna grunted out. Everyone silently nodded at him as we kept walking.

Naruto started walking beside me and then started explaining every detail of the fight in his point of view. Sakura kept on huffing and puffing about carrying Tazuna's bags. Sasuke was, as usual, silent, but I could feel his eyes on my back. I always feel him looking at me for some reason, which is a little unnerving considering it's Sasuke!

The town they lived in was... Well... It wasn't pretty. We didn't pass by any of the major streets or anything, but the street we did pass by on was in bad condition. There were broken down booths on the side of the road, which Tazuna told us were closed-down shops. The Hidden Leaf Village was _waaay_ nicer than here... By, like, a lot!

Tazuna's house wasn't anything special. It was just a small two-story house. It wasn't all broken down like all the other things we passed, but it wasn't good, either. It's... Pretty hard to explain. It was still early when got to Tazuna's house, too!

After being introduced to Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, we were all given a room. I, unwillingly, had to share a room with Naruto... Considering there were only four available rooms and no one wanted to sleep with Sasuke. Sakura's a girl/boy... So no one was allowed to have the same room as her. Who knows what they do in their free time? And Kakashi needed his own room considering how old he was and that he was still unconscious.

I didn't mind sharing with Naruto... It's just that you want your own room, ya know? It doesn't matter, though... I guess the fun and easygoing part of this mission was finally starting. Something in my mind was telling me that wasn't true, though... And it wasn't the other me's constant laughing.

"I need a shower... A long, cool, refreshing shower," I moaned, a smile forming on my face at the thought. I practically died and came back to life! Anyone would want a shower after that... _Anyone!_ Everyone else was too busy worrying about Kakashi, except Naruto, so they didn't think of showering. Naruto was, uh... I don't want to use the word _stalk_... But that's what he was practically doing.

Kakashi's room is the only one downstairs, while everyone else's room is upstairs. I'm in Naruto/my room right now, unpacking and settling in to the new place. It's not as dirty as I thought it'd be, but... I don't want to stay here longer than we need to. Naruto is in the room, too, unpacking. But... I feel he has something he wants to say...

"N-Naruto," I started, flinching at the intensifying stare he gave me. "I-Is there something you want?"

"U-Uh... Ah... Um," he furiously shook his head, a red tint on his cheeks. "No! No! It's nothing! Believe it!"

I blinked. "Really? Are you sure?" I gasped, the pieces fitting in my head. "Did Sakura do something to you while I wasn't looking?!" I swear I'm going to cut her hair off at night... I WILL!

**...Oh! How terrifyin'! **

_Shut up..._

He shook his head again."It's not like that! Sakura didn't do anything... Actually... I- Um..." He shook his head again. "It's nothing! I'll just leave now! Okay? Okay!" And with that he was gone, a trail of smoke following him.

_That... Was weird. Even for Naruto... _

**...Hn.**

_What's wrong? You're acting like less of a jerk than usual? Is it that you want to tell me some of my memories? Like... My last name for example? _

**It's nothin', stupid. It's just... No. I can't tell you... It's nothin'. Nothin'...**

_Hey! I wanna know more now! Tell me! _

**I'm sure you wouldn't even want to hear it. Maybe... If I like you better... I'll tell you after this borin' mission is over. **

_Tch. Fine. And what do you mean by boring?! We've been in a life or death situation twice now! _

**Those two Chuunin weren't shit. And Zabuza is a waste of air. **

_Wait a minute! Those two Chuunin almost took my eye out! And even though Zabuza died, it doesn't mean that he was weak! He made Kakashi unconscious! _I sighed, suddenly remembering something. _And hey, can I ask you a question? I don't care if you don't answer it, since it's over now, but how did I use that eye technique by myself? I mean... Isn't someone else supposed to say "Konoha" and then it'll activate by itself? What happened? _

He yawned. **I obviously helped you, idiot. **

I gasped, my eyes widening. _Really?! Were you sick or something?! _

He gave a condescending, taunting-like laugh. **I want you to die, so don't get the wrong idea, idiot. It's that... If I do get my body back... I don't want to have only one eye. I would have helped you anyway... Even if you didn't say "Konoha." **

_So... That's an excuse, right? You secretly like me, right? Especially after seeing all of my memories of me being cool, right? _I grinned at myself, finally finishing unpacking. I really am happy that he saved me... But it's all for nothing if he only did it for himself.

**I have no idea what you're talkin' about. **

_Yeah... Yeah... Whatever. _I stood up and started stretching, relieved that we wouldn't have to walk anymore for a while. I nonchalantly walked out of the room, heading down the stairs. Tazuna was having some sort of conversation with Naruto and Sakura while Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. I swiftly did a quick chakra check around the house and noted that he was still upstairs... Probably brooding or something.

I also felt another, lower chakra signal upstairs, too... It must be a pet, or something...

"Ms, Tsunami," I called the lady's name, gaining her attention. She's making dinner, or something. "Do you have a washer and dryer here?" I asked. She tilted her head.

"No. I usually hand-wash the clothes and hang them outside to dry. Is there something that you need washed?"

Damn it. They have washers and dryers at the Leaf Village, but if I don't feel like walking outside to go to the shop I just hand-wash it, too. It costs money to regularly wash clothes... Money that I can't afford to waste.

"I was just wondering if you could wash my sheets? We used them when we traveled here since Mr. Tazuna was the only one with the tent and-" I cut myself off, shaking my head. "Can you wash them please?"

She smiled warmly. "Of course, dear. Just put them in the hampers and they'll be good and ready by tomorrow, OK?"

Aww... I kinda wanted it done by tonight... But, whatever... I guess they have extra sheets for us to use... Hopefully...

"Thank you." And with a slight nod of the head I was back upstairs. I thought of unpacking Naruto's stuff for him, but I just really feel all grimy and mucky and I just _need_ a shower... Pronto!

When I was heading up the stairs, though... I had the misfortune of meeting up with Sasuke. Oh, and he looked like he was in a mood... Lucky me...

I decided to just walk by without saying a word or even acknowledging his existence... But he grabbed my arm to stop me, making me instantly tense up. Is this bastard going to try and hurt me?! I'm sure that I'm able to stand my own against Sasuke, if not beat him! But...

He looked anxious.

"Jalen," he grumbled, looking me dead in the eye. "Teach me that secret Jutsu you have... I want it-** I need it.**"

I blinked. "What?"

"That eye thing. You were able to beat that ninja that attacked the academy last month with it, right?" He let go of my arm, crossing his. "And that Chuunin that attacked us... You were able to scare him away. Is it better than the Sharingan? What does it even do? And how will I be able to activate it?"

_Uhh... Little help here? _

**Tell 'em to fuck off. Simple. **

_Yeah... That's exactly what I was thinking of doing... But... I don't think I should. His bastard levels are at it's barest minimum right now... This is his way of begging, I think. _

**And you give a fuck... Because..?**

_I just can't do it! Not now! Probably later, but not now! I'm not a mean spirited person like you! _

**Ugh... I hate you. Figure out what to say to him yourself. You're pissin' me off.**

"...Y-You can't learn this," I replied. He raised a brow. "It's not a special bloodline trait like the Sharingan... Actually, the Sharingan is a lot better than what I have! Anyway... I wasn't born with it... I-"

"If it's not a bloodline trait then I should be able to use it!" He said, his voice raising ever so slightly.

I resisted the urge to yell back as I said, "I... Haven't even told Naruto this, yet... So I don't think I'm going to tell you anytime soon... But... You can't learn it... From my knowledge. I don't even know what it really is and how it works!"

He gritted his teeth, clutching his fist. "I don't care what you've told or haven't told that **idiot.**" The insult rolled off his tongue so violently that it actually made me flinch! "What's so special about Naruto that you can't tell me?! He's a complete moron! A blockhead! He was dead last in his year! I demand to learn it... Even if I have to force-"

I punched him. I punched him straight in the nose, hopefully breaking it.

**Oh, shit! Things just got serious real fast!**

_I know, right?! I wasn't even thinking when I did that! I just got mad and he was just, like, standing right in front of me and Aaaaahhhh! _

I don't know if he was surprised by the sudden hit or frozen by the killing intent I was giving off... But he just stared at me wide eyed, covering his bleeding nose with his hand.

"You're a real fucking duck-butt-haired bastard, you know that right?! I don't care if you talk about me, Sakura, or Sakura... But don't talk about Naruto like he's some wild animal," I started walking, pushing past him. "If you still wanna talk shit... Find me tomorrow. We'll settle it then. I don't want to see or talk or even be in the same country as you for the rest of the day, though... So don't walk up to me unless you want a black eye." I turned around, watching him with slight interest. I giggled a little at his unbelieving expression. "And no. You can't learn it for two reasons. 1... I hate you, so I'd never teach you. 2... There's no way you'd be able to learn it anyway. You're a joke compared to me. Heck, Sakura has a higher chance at learning it than some emo-looking cunt!"

I was lying now. I just want to get under his skin... See what happens. And... He obviously gave me a death glare.

"Bye nii." I turned around, heading to my/Naruto's room.

I grabbed a bathing and drying off towel out of my bag and walked back out, heading for the bathroom. I closed the bathroom door behind me and instantly started to strip.

**I'm actually slightly impressed with you.**

_Oh, don't say those things! I'm blushing! _

**Yeah... You just ruined it. **

_Hehehe... Sorry~! I just can't believe I did that! I mean, I hate his fucking guts and the rest of his body... But I never thought I'd get a legitimate reason to actually punch him! I can only imagine Sakura's face when she sees that her beloved Sasuke has a bloody nose! Hah! _

**Thinkin' about it **_**is**_** pretty funny... **

_Right? I'm just... I've wanted to do that forever! Just punch someone... Let all my frustration out! Hey... Couldn't I have done more, though? I mean... He was asking for it! I still have a bunch of pent-up frustration left! _

**You should probably calm down... It's amazin' how you can act all tough on the outside and you're practically a bitch on the inside...**

I rolled my eyes at the insult, practically melting at the feeling of a good shower. _Hey... If you could see me talking with Sasuke... Can't you see me naked? _

**...I unfortunately can see everything you can see... And I can hear everything you can hear. **

_Y-YOU BASTARD! DON'T LOOK AT ME! GAAAHHH! PERVERT! GET OUT OF MY MIND! _

**...Really? **

_SHUDDUP! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE A NICE SHOWER WHEN A BOY IS PRACTICALLY SPYING ON ME?! _

**Don't make it seem like I'm some sort of gay pervert, you dumbass! I'll just close my eyes and stop talkin' to you... Okay?! Just try and ignore the fact that I'm practically in the same room as you...**

_Y-Y-You're ruining my showwweeeeerrrrr! _

I sighed in defeat and silently continued bathing... Looking everywhere except my body. Just in case that asshole's trying to do something shady!

When I got out of the shower and put on my clothes, I nonchalantly walked down the hall, forgetting all about the Sasuke thing. I remembered it when I heard Sakura scream my name and stomp upstairs.

"YOU MORONIC JACKASS!" She screeched, p-punching me in the face! "DON'T EVER TOUCH SASUKE AGAIN!" I flew to the ground and s-she started to s-stomp and stomp and stomp and AUUUGGHHH!

Let's just say... After she single-handedly kicked my ass... I had to take a shower again... With the other me laughing all the while.

* * *

_**Author's Note: Hiya Everyone! Is everyone doing good?! I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter... I worked hard on it, damn it! Oh yeah... And school is rough already! I have plenty of homework and a freaking project on the first week of school! So... I'll try and update once a week... But... You know... **_

_**Ah! Finally! Tazuna's house! A lot of good stuff is going to be happening here... A lot... *Licks lips***_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**war sage: Arigatou! ∩_∩**_

_**Kage Kurai: Ohmygosh! That dream was strangely vague but awesome! Too bad you didn't get to kill Sakura, though... Oh! I remember having ANOTHER Naruto dream where Orochimaru or Kabuto was ordering a bunch of zombies to attack my neighborhood... And I was Naruto and I had to find his evil base (Which was in a school bus). Yeah... Don't you just hate it when a family member wakes you up from an awesome dream?! But when you have nightmares no one does! It's so damn annoying! Wow... This is a little long... **_

_**AnimeWarrioress 359**__**: Th-Thank you! I just feel that my story isn't good sometimes... Compared to the rest... Considering I'm only in 8th grade! And Jalen being a schizophrenic? Hm... Whynut? And learning to not choking on chakra would be pretty convenient... How will Jalen be in the fight the second time around, though?! That's something to think about... ANYWAY! THANKS FOR REVIEWING!**_

_**kenegi: Hm... Well... Orochimaru's chakra... He's pretty use to it already (Since he has memories of being around Orochimaru). But Kyuubi... I SMELL CONFLICT! **_

_**Thanks everyone who favorited and followed, too! You guys rock!**_

* * *

**Fanfic Suggestion (A Fanfiction You Must Read!)**

**Book Title:****Sakura **

**Summary: Dying and being reborn into Sakura Haruno's body at the start of Naruto can really put a spin on a girl's perspective. Self Insert, single OC warning & actual summary inside. -COMPLETE-**

**Author: Darkpetal16**

* * *

_**Sorry Kage Kurai for the Fanfiction Suggestion today! We all know how much you want to kill Sakura... But I hope you all at least give it a chance! Uh... Bye nii~!**_


	10. Zabuza's Alive?

_**Author's Note: *Sniff* Everyone... Do you know what the best feeling ever is? The best feeling ever is to get tons of emails about people reviewing and favoriting and following and AAAAHHHH! I just want you all to know that as long as I stay good and healthy and as long as you guys keep on enjoying then I'll always be writing! Anyway... Enjoy, please!**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: If you were resurrected or transported into the Naruto world... Which clan would you want to be in? Why? And... Who would you mostly hang out with? Why? **_

_**Answer: I'd most likely want to either be in the Nara clan or Uzumaki clan. The Nara clan because I just love the Shadow Possession Jutsu and I did say earlier that Shikamaru was one of my favorite characters... But the Uzumaki clan is just kick ass and I'd get a nice feeling helping Naruto cope with the loneliness. And... I'd mostly hang out with Obito (If I was brought in that timeline) and prevent him from dying. If not him then Naruto cause he's just awesome! Like... Awesome!**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated T for language. OC Self-insert**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I only own the "to" part- OH, SHIT! THE COPS ARE AT MY DOOR!**_

* * *

**Grey****Eyes **

_Chapter 10_

**Friday, April 19th (Still?!)**

**Wow... You really just got your ass handed to you by that big forehead girl. **

_I... I let down my guard because I was in a surprisingly good mood. _I put my hand in my hair, sighing in frustration. _That won't happen again. Believe it. That's probably the reason Sasuke confronted me earlier... I was in a good mood, therefore I looked surprisingly nicer. _

**Why were you in such a good mood? The only thing you did was choke on chakra, meet me, and finally make it to the old man's house. **

I threw my wet towel in my room, not caring where it landed. _Maybe... It's because we don't have to walk anymore. I was in a momentary state of glee. _I shrugged, deciding that was the best reason. Truthfully, I don't have a reason why I was in such a good mood... I just _was._ Even depressed people have times when they just feel better. It's unexplainable.

"I'm back to my regular self now, though."

**Remember, you're in my body... So don't go and embarrass me, idiot. Just being beaten by that stupid bitch makes me sick.**

_...You've seen me naked. I don't want to hear shit from you. _

**Actually... You're in **_**my**_** body. How could I forget? **

_...Don't talk for a while... Please..._

I started to stretch as I reached the stairs. As you already know... I got my ass kicked by Sakura and immediately after took another shower to prevent doing something I'd regret. I'm now currently about to walk back downstairs and see what Naruto's up to...

I finished stretching my muscles and started the walk downstairs. When I got down there, though... I sensed that everyone was in Kakashi's room. Even Tsunami... I wonder why..?

"What's going on?" I asked half-heartedly, kinda already knowing the answer. Everyone being in his room... His chakra system becoming active again... His lazy but perceptive eyes looking at me... It's obvious that Kakashi was awake. And it's only 5:00pm, too!

"Ah, Jalen... I'm glad that you're able to join us," Kakashi said, smiling. "I was just about to ask about you... But I see you're all fine now."

"I see you're doing OK, too, Kakashi-sensei," I replied, walking further into the room. Sakura was sitting by Kakashi's side, looking smug. Tsunami was standing by his side, looking ever-so motherly. Tazuna, Sasuke, and Naruto was sitting in front of Kakashi... I just decided to stand beside Tsunami. "You don't have a lot of chakra, though. Are you alright?"

"Yeah... Using the Sharingan for such a long period of time did that to me," he explained. "What about you? What happened back there when we met Zabuza?"

Damn... I don't feel like explaining everything AGAIN. I'm already super embarrassed about it. "Uh... It's psychological. You know..?" I hinted, talking about Orochimaru. He got the hint and nodded.

"You should still tell me everything about it later... So we can prevent it, alright?" He said. I just nodded, totally not excited for that. It's Kakashi! What if he finds out about the other me?!

**That's not possible. But, if he somehow does find out... The worst that could happen is you bein' put in a crazy hospital. That's all.**

_Shut up._

"Yeah, yeah." I ignored Sasuke's glares, Sakura's smugness, and Naruto's uncomfortable shift in position. Why are they all acting like this? "Anyway... What were y'all talking about before I came?"

"We were just talking about that boy that took Zabuza's dead body away," Naruto said with a low growl. "Kakashi-sensei was just about to talk about him before you walked in."

"Ah..." I nodded, sitting down on the floor. "Sorry for interrupting, _Kakashi-sensei, Naruto..._ You can continue." Those two were the only ones that I minded interrupting. Tsunami and Tazuna might not even care much about that unknown boy... And Sasuke and Sakura can just burn in hell.

Kakashi nodded. "That boy with the mask that took Zabuza away is from the Elite Tracking Unit of the Village Hidden in the Mist. Those masks are only worn by the most elite shinobi..."

"What exactly do they do?" Sakura asked.

"The ANBU Black-ops, also known as the Inferno Squad, destroy all traces of a rouge ninja's corpse. The shinobi's body contains many different secrets; Ninjutsu, chakra, special medicines used on his body... These are the secrets of his village. If his enemies find them... His people will be in grave danger," he paused. "For instance, if I were to die at the hands of an enemy, he would try to analyze my Sharingan. In the worst case, my entire Jutsu could be stolen and used against our home village. It is the sacred duty of the shinobi trackers to prevent this; to keep the village's secrets safe. If a ninja betrays his village, the trackers hunt him down, eliminate him, and destroy every trace of his existence."

"That's... Pretty cool," I mumbled. "But it's not something I'd want to do."

**Meh... It's not that bad a job. I'd probably enjoy it.**

_That's not surprising, coming from you... Hey, how did you get so mean and cold anyway? The memories I have of you are being scared and sad..._

**After I escaped... I lived and survived alone for two years. I've obviously killed before. It was only a matter of time...**

_How touching... Yeah, I don't give a shit._

**I didn't expect you too.**

"Hey? Are you OK? Sensei?" Naruto called out to the man, who was just staring off into space. I wonder why..?

"Hm? Oh, yeah." He looked back up. "Back to what I was saying... Tracker ninja deal with the body immediately on the spot so there's no room for error." I instantly found a flaw in this situation the minute the sentence was finished.

"But... Naruto told me that the tracker-ninja-boy took the body away. Why is that..?" I asked.

Kakashi nodded. "Exactly. Why _is_ that? He should have worked on Zabuza right there... As quickly as possible." His eyes were a little more calculating now... "Think of the weapons he used for the take down. Do you remember what they were?"

"Throwing needless," Sasuke breathed out, his eyes slightly widening. "No way..!"

"Exactly... None of it adds up," Kakashi said, closing his eyes. Naruto and I gave each other thoughtful looks as our minds started working.

"What are you all yammering about? You demolished that assassin!" Tazuna butted in.

"Here's the truth..." Kakashi opened his eyes. "**Zabuza's still alive.**"

"_**WWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!**_"

"But we saw his body! Believe it!"

"Kakashi-sensei, you checked him yourself, you said his heart stopped!"

I was too surprised to say anything. Zabuza's still alive? He's still alive... Meaning that he could jump through this window at any time and kill us?! Th-That's impossible! How could they be so stupid as to watch some random boy, who is now recognized as Zabuza's teammate, just take Zabuza away, saving him! Anko told me to stab someone in the throat if I really want to make sure they're dead! Why did none of them think of that?!

That means we'll have to fight again and Naruto's life, including mine, will be in danger!

It's just not fair!

_And you knew it, too..._

**Shishishi~! Of course I did! I'm not giving you any hints on what's going to happen because, frankly, I want you dead. **

_Fuck you! _

"Grah!" I punched the floor in all my frustration, watching as it cracked up a bit. "Kakashi-sensei, you're supposed to stab the bastard in the neck when he's down! How could you not have noticed this earlier?! How could you just randomly realize it now?!" I looked up, glaring. "Didn't you check to see if he was still breathing, at least?!"

Naruto, Sakura, Tazuna, and Tsunami were completely speechless. Shown by the slight gaping of the mouth and widening of the eyes. Sasuke _looked_ completely unfazed... But I'm sure he's just as surprised under that facade. Kakashi just stared at me in that boring way, most likely thinking that I'm spending _waaay_ too much time with Anko.

"I did check his breathing, Jalen," he answered, sounding a _teensy-weensy_ bit annoyed. "And as Sakura said earlier, I even checked to see if his heart stopped; he was dead. But... That was just a temporary state to simulate death." He looked up at Sasuke now. "The weapons that tracker used are caused senbon: they can pierce deeply and rarely kill unless they hit a vital organ... Not in the neck. They're modified for needles used for medical treatments like acupuncture."

His eyes slowly looked down, signifying he was either remembering something or getting sleepy. "Trackers are trained to know every detail of the human body. Causing the heart to stop temporarily while keeping the body alive is an easy matter for them." He brought his hand up, showing two fingers. "First, he carried Zabuza's body away even though it's much heavier than him. Second, he used senbon which has a precise effect, but are rarely fatal. From these two factors, we can conclude that the tracker wasn't trying to destroy Zabuza... He was trying to save him!"

"Come on... You're over thinking this, aren't you?" Tazuna said, clearly not alright with the fact that his attempted killer is still on the streets. Even though Zabuza isn't trying to kill me... _I'm_ not alright with it!

"_Encountering suspicion, the ninja prepares quickly. Hesitation leads to disaster._" Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Every shinobi knows this saying."

Naruto quietly moaned, trembling, his mouth slowly coming up into a smirk. Is... Is he scared... Or excited? I... Can't tell... And that's saying something! I know all!

"Sensei, you said _prepare quickly,_ but how can we do that when you can barely move?" Sakura asked. Even though I don't want to admit it... She has a point.

Kakashi... Chuckled? "I can still train you," he said kinda mysteriously.

"**Hold on!** A little last minute training won't make us strong enough to fight Zabuza!" Sakura yelled, her face flushed. "_You_ could barely defeat him, even with your Sharingan! We have to be reasonable about this!"

"Shut UP!" I groaned, glaring at her. "You're so loud! I know you're some kind of gorilla, but can you keep it quiet around human beings?!"

She stood up, waving a fist at me. "I would shut up if I were _you!_ You don't want a repeat of what happened earlier, do you?!"

I stood up, too, matching her glare with my own. "Ha! The only reason I didn't hit you back is because I still thought you were a girl... But everyone can see the erection you have when looking at Sasuke! You wouldn't even be able to _stand_ after I got through with you!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, calm down, you two!" Naruto exclaimed, standing between us and holding us back with his hands. I instantly calmed down, unclenching my fist just slightly.

Sakura didn't. "Get out the way and stay out of this, Naruto!" She bopped him in the head. Hard. He fell to the ground, moaning in pain. Oh, that stupid ass bitch!

"How dare you hit Naruto?! He wasn't doing anything to you! What're you, on your period?!" I took out a kunai, skillfully holding it in my hand. "That's it. I'm going to kill you right here, right now! We can just tell your parents that an enemy ninja killed you... Yeah, that sounds good, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Sakura... Jalen... Sit **down,**" Kakashi boomed, making me wince... Just slightly, though. I gave Sakura another dirty look before I placed my kunai back in it's holster, sitting down. Tazuna had that _I-Knew-It-Was-Gonna-Happen-Sooner-Or-Later_ look while Tsunami had that _These-Kids-Are-Violent _look_._

"Anyway, Kakashi-sensei," she started again in a dry voice. "Some half-assed training won't help us beat Zabuza. We're nowhere near your league and _you_ couldn't defeat him."

"Sakura, why was I able to stop Zabuza?" Kakashi randomly asked, making us raise a brow. "_Because_... You all helped me; you've grown."

Damn. I kinda feel that I shouldn't have fainted... Even though it was out of my power.

"Naruto."

"Huh?"

Kakashi smiled. "You've grown the most."

"Hehe... Hehehe," Naruto quietly chuckled in response, his eyes wide as if he didn't believe this was happening. He had a sorta goofy smile on his face, his ego-levels slowly rising. I hope he doesn't get a big head because of this... Sasuke's already scowling.

"So you've noticed, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "Now things are going to get better! **Believe it!**"

"I don't believe it! And nothing's going to be good!"

We all turned around in confusion to see who said that. It sounded like a little kid... And now that I'm looking at him... I know that it is a little kid. Ah! This kid is the one I sensed upstairs earlier! Since he's a civilian and since he's a kid his chakra levels are super low... But not in a dangerous way.

This boy has spiky black hair and dark-colored eyes. He's wearing a green jumpsuit with a yellow shirt and a simple pair of sandals. He's also wearing a blue and white striped hat which hides a lot of his messy, black hair. But... The one thing about him that I noticed... Is his eyes. Yeah, they're a regular color... But... It's filled to the brim with pain and sadness.

He's looking at us in a mean way... But I can obviously see the lugubriousness (Go Thesaurus!) hidden in those eyes. I know... Because... I see those eyes every time I look in the mirror.

"Who are you?!" Naruto yelled.

"Awww! Inari! Where have you been?!" Tazuna asked, bringing his arms out for a hug. And he's only been upstairs...

"Welcome back, grandpa!" The boy, Inari, ran up and jumped into his grandpa's arms. So that's his name...

"Inari, that was very rude!" Tsunami yelled, bending down and giving the boy a disapproving look. "These ninja helped your grandpa and brought him here safely!"

"It's okay, it's okay... I'm rude to them, too!" Tazuna laughed, patting the boy on the head. I scowled. Inari blankly stared at us while we blankly stared at him. He stared... We stared... He stared... We stared... He stared... We sta-

"Mom! Don't you see these people are gonna die? Gato and his men will come back and find them and wipe them out!"

...Yeah...

**I like this brat! He's got the right idea! I hope his prediction is right, though. It'd make my day to see you all brutally murdered. **

Naruto scowled. "What did you say, brat?!" Naruto jumped up and pointed at the kid, now smirking. "Listen up! You know what a super ninja is? Well that's me, only a lot better! I'm gonna be Hokage!" He made his hand into a fist. "This Gato or _Blato_ or whatever he's called is no match for a real hero like me!"

Inari visibly stiffened, looking down. His hat shaded his eyes from us. "Ha. There's no such thing as a hero." He suddenly looked up, glaring. "**You're just full of stupid ideas!**"

"**What'd you say?!**"

"Naruto, calm down!" Sakura yelled, holding him back from hurting the little kid. Naruto struggled against Sakura's hold, wailing and reaching and just plain trying to kill the boy.

"If you want to stay alive, you should go back where you came from," Inari told us, walking off.

"Inari, wait. Where are you going?" Tazuna asked. Inari opened up the sliding doors, still not looking back at us.

"To look out at the ocean. I want to be alone." And with that he was gone, walking out the room and back upstairs.

I had a feeling... Just a hint... That looking at the ocean wasn't the only thing he was going to do. Maybe I'm just over thinking things... But maybe... Inari's just as depressed as me. I could see it all in his eyes... Maybe I'll go up and try and talk to him later? He's a real brat, though... Depressed or not.

"Sorry about that," Tazuna apologized. We all silently nodded, each of us with different expressions on our faces. Naruto was growling at the door... As if just glaring would bring him back and cause him to spontaneously combust into flames.

After we talked a little more... We all went our separate ways. Kakashi decided that we'll start our training tomorrow, so he went back to sleep. Sakura, Sasuke, Tazuna, and Tsunami stayed downstairs and did their own thing... And Naruto stomped upstairs.

I was almost certain that he would have attacked Inari... But when he came back downstairs... His maddened expression was softer. He looked a little sad, even! I could only imagine what happened up there...

* * *

**Later That Night**

At dinner... Kakashi officially approved that we'll start our training tomorrow. Inari didn't come down for dinner, so I was a little worried but not caring at the same time. If he gets hungry enough, I'm sure he'll waddle his butt down here and eat. He didn't, though...

"Hey, Jalen," Naruto called out to me in a soft voice. We were in the room now, both of us laying on the floor. Everyone else's chakra wasn't active... Meaning they were sleeping or almost asleep.

"What is it, Naruto?" I turned around, raising a curious brow when I saw his anxious face.

"I- Um..."

"Yeah..?"

"When I went upstairs to teach Inari a lesson earlier... I peaked in his room and saw him crying."

I blinked. I mean... I'm a little surprised, but as I said earlier... I could see that he was sad. "Do you know why he was crying?" I decided to ask. Naruto shook his head, signaling he didn't know.

_How about you? Do you know? _

**Duh. I won't tell you, though. And I'm trying to sleep, so don't talk to me anymore, idiot.**

_God... You really piss me off. _

"Anyway... What do we do? I was planning on pounding that kid, but now..."

"What do you mean _but now?_"

Naruto flinched at the tone of my voice, but I kept going.

"Just because someone is sad about something doesn't give them the right to act like a total ass. So treat him the same way you'd treat him if you didn't see him crying." I turned to lay on my back, glaring at the ceiling. "Naruto... Imagine this. What if Inari crept out of his room and walked in the kitchen? He grabbed the biggest and sharpest knife he could find and came back up here, heading for Sakura's room. He quietly opened the door and lashed out at her; stabbing her in the stomach, chest, throat, face, **everything!**"

"J-Jalen..?"

"She died. Sakura was killed. Inari was the one that killed her. Next was Sasuke. He tore Sasuke up so bad that he was unrecognizable..! Then what, Naruto? Where do you think he'd go next?" My eyes started to tear up as various images came into my head. "He came in our room, Naruto. He killed me. He shoved the blood stained knife in my eyes and it cut my brain, killing me. I was dead. Inari couldn't help but chuckle at all the people he killed already. You woke up. You saw him hovering over my dead body, crazily laughing. What would you do then?"

My voice was higher-pitched by now. "Would you kill him and avenge us? Or would you forgive him just because he was sad? What would you do, Naruto? You'd be all alone again, either way. The only one alive would be you and Kakashi-sensei... What would you do, Naruto?"

"Jalen!" Naruto yelled. I stopped talking, still not looking at him. Tears spilled out my eyes and down my cheek, hitting the floor with a satisfying thump.

**Thump.**

**Thump.**

**...Thump...**

"I'd kill Inari... I'd kill Inari and then..." He stopped. He didn't talk anymore. I didn't talk, either. We were both obviously wide awake by now.

Everything was quiet as we both tried to drift into sleep... Even though it was close to impossible by now. I did fall asleep, though... And I had the worst dream I ever had. Everything I said Inari did... Happened. But instead of me being the last one killed... Naruto was. I watched as Inari violently stabbed Naruto to death... I watched as I violently tore all the skin off of Inari's body... And I watched as I stabbed myself in the chest...

* * *

**...**

Everything was painfully simple. Break in the house through the window, kiss My Love, and kill the old man for putting My Love in such a dangerous situation. Then kill the girl for associating with My Love. Yeah... Obviously simple.

Everything was going _soo_ well, too! I ended up snuggling with My Love while he slept! He smelled so~ good! I just wanted defile him right then and there... But then everyone would have woken up. So I just pecked him in the cheek (His lips would be mine later...) and stalked for the girl's room. I was going to kill the man first, but the thought of this bitch touching My Man was aggravating. I opened the door with a silent creek, scowling at the sleeping girl.

I brought my axe up and cut her head off! Blood sprayed from her neck onto my frame, complimenting my crimson red eyes. Her eyes were wide open in a heartbeat and she screamed. I wondered for a split second on how she could have screamed with her head cut off, but disregarded the question as I felt everyone waking up. I needed to leave.

I wonder why, though? I'm pretty sure I could have killed them all, but then My Love would be sad. I would never kill My Love... Unless he does something unforgivable.

"Unforgivable~" I sang as I jumped out the window. The girl was somehow still screaming even after I left... She must have had a lot of air in that head of hers.

I jumped from house to house. I actually failed my mission, though. I was supposed to kill the man, too... But the girl just had to scream! The bitch woke My Love up!

I turned around and spared one last glance at the house. I couldn't hear the girl screaming anymore; she was finally dead. _Dead, dead, dead!_ Anyone who gets in the way of my love **dies!**

"_**Anyone who talks to Sasu~ dies..!**_"

* * *

_**Author's Note: Wow. Bet you all didn't expect that, right? What happened, anyway? I'd love to hear all of your predictions on what happened and/or what's going to happen next! And I'm going to just go through all that tree climbing training fast. We need to hurry and get to the Chuunin Exams, ya know!**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**Kage Kurai: Who would I bring to OUR world?! Shikamaru, of course! Considering I'm in school and we're the same age... He could be in all of my classes and do my homework for me! He's smart as hell, ya know! And he doesn't seem to be as annoying or... Interesting... As all the other characters. He's one of the most perfect best friends! Second to Naruto, of course... But he's just there to have fun with. He couldn't help with my homework. :/ And Hinata does seem like a good choice... She would probably be my third choice. And I'm super happy you're reading Introverted! Isn't that story just, like, awesome? **_

_**strawberry chizoey: Shishishi~ It seems my mind control- I mean story is doing good! **_

_**AnimeWarrioress 359: If only the other Jalen was that nice... Everything would be so much easier. Aaaand... Yeah. I accidentally made Jalen a little OOC... But I cleared that up in this chapter hopefully! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!**_

* * *

**Fanfiction Suggestion (A Fanfic You MUST Read!)**

**Title: Dreaming of Sunshine **

**Summary: Life as a ninja. It starts with confusion and terror and doesn't get any better from there. OC Self insert. **

**Author: Silver Queen **


	11. Sakura? More Depression

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 11_

It all happened so fast… There was no way for me to predict it was going to happen… And there was no way to prevent it…

The high-pitched scream was the thing that woke me up. I jumped up, alarmed, and quickly looked around the dark room. Naruto was just now getting up, also looking around hurriedly. Our eyes met and one word escaped both our mouths.

"Sakura..!"

We both bolted out of the room, Naruto going a lot faster than me. Sakura was still screaming, and then we heard glass breaking.

I'll admit... I wasn't particularly worried. Not at first, at least. I just thought that Sakura probably saw a bug and broke something running away from it. The most dangerous thing I thought could happen was Tazuna sneaking into her room and trying to rape her (Disgusting).

I was _soo_ wrong.

Maybe it was when I was fully awake and sensed another person leaving the house? Or maybe it was when I saw Sasuke deadly still, looking in her dark room? Or maybe... _Just maybe_... It was when Naruto and I pushed past Sasuke and rushed into the room?

Whichever one it was... It was then that I knew that the situation wasn't as pure and/or as simple as I thought.

I turned on the lights... And almost instantly wished I didn't.

Sakura, now stopping her super long scream, was lying on the floor... Deadly pale. There was a **huge** gash in her chest... Right, and I mean _right_ below her throat! If it was probably an inch or two higher... She'd be dead. Her head would have easily been cut off!

Not as if she wouldn't be dead from this.

Blood was just _oozing_ and _squirting_ and _splashing_ out of her chest! There was blood all around her. Some of it was heading towards us! The thought of that sticky, crimson liquid touching my feet made me shudder... Just looking at her made me have a baby barf!

Her eyes were wide open... Her mouth was wide open (As if she wanted to scream again but couldn't)... Her face was wet with sweat and some blood... She was gonna die..! There was no doubt about it..!

"Sakura!" Kakashi-sensei rushed in, using crutches to keep himself from falling. "What ha-" His words were cut in half by the sight of Sakura. Everyone just stared at her, then. Sakura looked back weakly at us.

The silence seemed to carry on for eternity.

It was only a second.

"SAKURA!" Naruto screamed! And I mean he _screamed!_ He rushed towards her, but Kakashi-sensei _teleported_ in front of him and brought his hand out. "GET OUT THE WAY, KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

"Naruto, Sasuke, Jalen, **don't get in the way!**" Kakashi-sensei ordered, his voice so demanding and serious that it caused us all to flinch. "I taught you all teamwork, and the teamwork right now is to not get in the way!"

"BULLSHIT! SAKURA'S BLEEDING!"

Kakashi-sensei chopped Naruto in the neck, knocking him out.

I gasped. "KAKA-"

"You two must do everything I say, alright? No talking back and no hesitating. If you don't... Sakura will die," he said, starting a series of hand seals. "Jalen, go take Naruto back in your room! Sasuke, quickly go downstairs and get the bandages in my book bag! **Go!**"

Sasuke bolted out of the room so fast that the wind carried behind him. I quickly picked Naruto up, ignoring the rude way Kakashi-sensei shut him up, and sprinted to my room as fast as I could. Well, as fast as I could with an 80-something pound boy on my back.

On the way to the room, I passed Inari. He was peeking his head out the door and looking just terrified.

"Is Gato and his men here to kill us?"

"Go the hell downstairs with your parents! Now!"

That was the only two things said between us in this hurried situation. Maybe he could have helped? I doubted it... I don't even know how _I _can help!

I wonder why I wasn't as panicky as I should have been? I mean, I was in panic, believe me! But... Not as much as everyone else. Was I still in a dazed, unbelieving state? Probably...

I gently dropped Naruto's un-moving body on the floor. I didn't even get a chance to get my thoughts together before I bolted out of the room again. Sasuke was already in the hall with bandages in his hands, rushing back to Sakura's room. He's obviously going a lot faster than me for some reason.

"Don't just stand there!" He yelled at me, his voice a mixture of exasperation and panic. I didn't even think of yelling back or insulting him as I followed him to Sakura's room.

Kakashi-sensei was bent down, his hands held over her chest. There was a light green tint of chakra radiating from his palms, Sakura's bleeding calming down a bit as the chakra touched her. It almost felt as pleasant as Naruto's chakra... Almost.

Sakura's face was contorted in a sort of calmed but pained expression... Like she was fading into unconsciousness but still felt the mind-numbing pain. Kakashi-sensei looked very concentrated on what he was doing to her... As if one mistake would mess him up and she'd instantly die.

That thought alone is a scary one. It seemed to pass through both me and Sasuke's brain, because neither of us wanted to interrupt our teacher and test our scary theory.

"Damn it," Kakashi-sensei muttered suddenly, his foot twitching in what seemed like irritation. "The bleeding is harder to stop than I thought."

"Kakashi-sensei," I uncertainly started. "W-What are you doing?"

"I'm using Medical Ninjutsu to stop the bleeding, then I'm going to use the bandages to keep the wound from opening back up." I felt him use a little bit more chakra, the light green getting a little darker. "I'm hoping this will stabilize her condition before I get time to think things through."

"Oh." I wasn't sure of what else to say... I was painfully useless in this situation.

"Jalen." Or not. "I've gotten the impression that you're a very good sensor over the month that I've been with you," Kakashi-sensei said. I nodded, confused. "A sensor is a ninja who, uh, can sense or feel chakra better than others. Like that time you sensed Zabuza... And I saw how you were acting when you saw that puddle. It's called being a sensor. Or sensory ninja."

"Oh." I nodded dumbly.

"Enough talking. It's distracting me. Here's what I need you to do." He sighed, adding a bit more chakra to the healing process. "I need you to feel for any extra, unknown chakra around the area. See if anyone else is in the vicinity that could have done something like this. If you do feel someone near, tell me. If not, just go downstairs and stay with Mr. Tazuna and his family. Explain to them everything that's going on..."

He grunted and a bead of sweat rolled down his face. I waited for any further instructions but none were given. I closed my eyes and put my right hand in a half Tiger Seal. I just feel that in this position I can sense things better. But...

But Sakura's dying face and the stench of blood kept filling my mind... And it was very distracting! After a while, though, I managed to concentrate long enough to confirm that no one was around.

"No one with ninja chakra is around. Actually, no one at all is outside of their houses... And even the ones in their houses are asleep," I informed him. "The person must have left... And the person must have left _fast._"

"...Go downstairs and explain to them what happened," Kakashi-sensei ordered me in a strained voice. "Sasuke, this is my limit... I'm going to need you to help bandage her up."

Sasuke visibly paled. Well... He paled even more than he already was. "M-Me?!" He obviously didn't want to touch, or get anywhere near, the blood all on the floor. Kakashi-sensei's knees were already drenched in the crimson goop.

"You're a ninja... You're going to have to get used to blood sooner or later. It might as well be sooner." He coughed. "I'm not going to ask you again! Help me bandage Sakura up or she'll **die!** Jalen, I told you to go downstairs! I'm not going to repeat myself... Both of you... **Move!**"

I gave Sasuke the most apologetic look I could muster and turned around, running out of the room. I'm sure that they're alright, since I didn't sense anyone, but Kakashi-sensei really scared me just then... I don't want to anger him.

**What the hell is goin' on?! I told you that I'm trying to fuckin' sleep! Keep it down! **

_Shut up! Someone broke in the house and almost killed Sakura! Kakashi-sensei is trying his hardest to keep her alive, but he's still exhausted from fighting Zabuza, and there's just so much blood and-_

Actually telling my other self everything that happened... It got me to thinking. It got me to actually thinking... That... What if Sakura doesn't make it? What if she really does die? Then what..? What... What will I do..? What'll happen?

I had tears welling up in my eyes as I slowed my run to a slow jog down the stairs. Sakura... I've always said I hated her... I've always made fun of her... I even threatened to kill her! What kind of person am I..? I'm... horrible...

"No!" I furiously shook my head, wiping the tears out of my eyes. "I almost forgot that we're in an Anime... And Sakura is a main character, I think. That means... This must have happened in the Anime! And if Sakura survived to get older... That means she survived from this! Everything will be alright!" I didn't even care that I was talking about the Anime out loud. I just needed something to reassure me.

**...Sorry to break it to ya, bud. But... This never happened in the Anime. **

I almost tripped and fell on my face, but I quickly steadied myself and glared up at the ceiling.

_You'll do anything to make me suffer, won't you? Be it physically or mentally... You're despicable!_

**I'm not lyin'! I have most of your memories from your previous life, meanin' I have most of the memories from the Anime, and this never happened! Unless, however, she survived and was fully healed by tomorrow... And they never talked about it again. You understand how dumb and unbelievable that is, right?**

_You're a liar! She... EXPLAIN IT, THEN! EXPLAIN HOW SOMETHING THAT COMPLETELY DEFIES THE PLOT IS HAPPENING!_

**I DON'T KNOW, IDIOT! But I'm not lyin'... You can choose to believe me or not. **

_Prove it, then. Prove that you aren't lying. _

**And how exactly am I supposed to do that, stupid? **

_Tell me... What's your name?! _

**...Wha? **

_What. Is. Your. Name. _

**My name..? My name is Jalen. Just like you...**

_How? Isn't "Jalen" pretty foreign around here? What about your parents? And why, no, how did I get teleported in your body into the Naruto Universe anyway? I want to know... Or I'll never respond to you, or trust you ever again. _

**...I'm going to explain to you what I've concluded over the month that I've been jailed in your subconscious. **

_...Okay... _

He sighed, as if he was remembering something... Or either it was going to be a very long explanation. I just stopped walking at the bottom of stairs, closing my eyes so that I could pay attention to only him.

**First, Jalen **_**is**_** foreign around here. I've never met my parents, or rather, I don't remember them. I was kidnapped by Orochimaru at an early age. I remember being called Test Subject Number 44, but after practically being lusted over by the Snake... They started callin' me "Jalen." I suppose it's my real name... I just know they started callin' me it. It's a coincidence that we have the same name, I guess. **

_Keep going. _

**Yeah. Okay... First... Tell me how you got here. **

_What do you mean? _

**How did you come to this world? Did you just fall asleep and end up here, were you doin' somethin' and just blacked out... What happened? **

_I-I think I blacked out. Yeah, I blacked out! _

**How? What were you doin'? **

_I... Don't remember. I think... I got a message? Mail? I just can't seem to remember! _

**That's good enough. My conclusion is that you did somethin' that activated you being sent to this world. I don't think you were the only one that could activate it... And I don't think that you were the only one to activate it. Maybe the one that did that to Sakura is another person to come into this world..? Since the person effectively changed the plot by doin' that to Sakura. **

Wait... So he's telling me that I'm not the only one who was sent here?! That's a good thing! But... The bad thing is that the person is evil... So I still don't have anyone who I can share my feelings with.

**But... That doesn't mean that person is the only one who was sent here with you. It could be plenty of people who were sent into our Naruto world! **

I blinked. _Excuse me? What do you mean by "Our" world? _

**Oh. I mean... The real world. **

_What? I'm the one that came from the real world! This is the one that's fake! _

**Can you prove that? You can't be sent into somethin' that's fake, it's not logical. This world is real... And the world that you came from must be the fake one. **

_No! It's not fake! Don't try to get in my head, you bastard! _

**...**

_And I have another question I want you to answer. If our memories were switched, me getting your memories and you getting mine, then how are you able to remember stuff about your past? I can't remember __**anything! **__No matter how hard I try! _

**You can remember a lot, idiot. It's just not as important as you think it is. **

_What? What are you talking about?! I can't remember anything! You have my memories, remember?! _

He hesitated. I could feel it. **That may be true... But it's also not true. You remembered that Sakura will get older when you were tryin' to reassure yourself, you remembered Zabuza's name when he attacked y'all, and I'm pretty sure you remember the names of some of the other main characters, too. **

_So what? I remember a few names! That's not what I want to remember, and that's not going to help me in the future! _

**But it's somethin'! My guess is we have selective memory... Of some sorts. Usually we can select which memories to remember, but not in this case. It's just a coincidence that I remember more stuff than you. I'm smarter, you're an idiot... You can do the math. Or can you..? **

I sighed in annoyance and disappointment (Of sorts...). W_hatever, you asshole. You still didn't answer everything, though. Why was I put in your body? _

**Probably because we have the same name. Probably just by random. Maybe... Maybe it's somethin' deeper than that. I have a hypothesis... **

_Okay. Tell me. _

**You know... You won't be getting anymore information out of me after this. You idiot. Anyway... Maybe... Both of our worlds are real in their own way? Maybe... Maybe we **_**are**_** the same person, but from two completely different worlds? When you got sent to my world... You were put in your body from this world. If I would have got sent into your world, I would have been put into my body from that world; you. It's only a hypothesis, though... So you don't really have to believe anythin' I just told you. **

_..._

I didn't know how to respond. To any of it! I still have a few more questions... But he really doesn't know anything more than I do. Everything he just said right then was a complete _**guess.**_ That's... Just...

I shook my head and started thinking about other things. Sakura. What's going to happen to her? Will she die? If what the other me said is true... It's not very unlikely that she will...

Nothing is likely to happen as they should..! And there's nothing I can do about it...

* * *

**Saturday, April 20th**

We were all downstairs, everyone sitting at the dinner table. Or rather... A few of us. Kakashi-sensei fainted from using too much of his chakra after making sure Sakura was stabilized. He's still in his room, sleeping.

Sasuke's locked up in his room for some unknown reason. He wouldn't say a word after he helped bandage Sakura up... He just gave us that wide-eyed stare.

He reeked of blood.

Sakura was obviously still unconscious (Or dead... I'm not going to be the one to walk upstairs and check on her, though). The room still had blood all over the floor because no one knew what to do (Tsunami was emotionally distraught after hearing the news and refused to go in the room. No one else knew how, or wanted, to clean blood from the floor, and the only Jounin who was probably use to this stuff was unconscious).

I obviously wasn't going to go up there and clean it. The thought of walking up there and seeing Sakura not breathing frightened me... And it took a lot to really frighten me from doing something.

And Naruto... He woke up and instinctively walked to Sakura's room, thinking he was just having a bad dream. No one was up there at the time, so he opened the door and silently looked in. The only thing we heard from Naruto after that was screams and crying.

The only way I calmed him down (Just a bit) was explaining to him that Sakura wasn't dead and that Kakashi-sensei did his best to keep her alive. He still stayed in his room most of the time, and we could hear the sobbing and banging from downstairs. I tried to comfort him (As awkwardly as possible), but you can probably tell that I was no good at it. The only emotions I ever feel anymore are sadness, anger, and (At the most rarest times) happiness. Sakura dying would just be another thing to mope around about... I would just add it to the list.

Naruto came down for dinner at 6:00pm, though. Sasuke still stayed up in his room, Kakashi-sensei still stayed unconscious, and Sakura still stayed in a half dead, half alive state. The only ones at the table were Tsunami, Tazuna, Inari, Naruto, and I. We were eating soup.

A feeling of dread filled the kitchen.

Tazuna was terrified. He was almost certain that it was Zabuza or his partner that broke in and did that to Sakura. He knew that he was next... "It was _inevitable,_" he kept muttering, trembling in his seat.

Inari just had a blank face on, but the feeling of smugness was a little hard to ignore. "I told you so," is what the aura around him practically said. I wanted to punch the kid, no, _kill_ the kid... But I prevented myself from doing anything rash.

Tsunami was also trembling. She was just plain worried and _stressed_ out! She might also be targeted for being the wife of the person they want to kill, or her son might be targeted for being the grandson of the person they want to kill. No one was safe. No one at all.

Naruto just kept his head down, not making eye contact with anyone.

The dinner went by fast. No one said anything to anyone, so everyone just ate and left. Naruto dragged his feet back to our room, while Inari, Tsunami, and Tazuna stayed downstairs. They thought staying downstairs was safer than being upstairs...

I trudged up the stairs behind Naruto, my hand instinctively resting on my dagger. I didn't sense anyone except Sasuke and Sakura upstairs, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I might be getting paranoid, but I really don't care. I'm definitely not going to let what happened to Sakura happen to Naruto... I'd blow this whole house up before I'd let that happen.

Naruto nonchalantly turned the corner and walked in our room. I let out a sigh of relief that no one attacked. That relief turned to guilt as I looked at Sakura's door in the hallway.

I either turn and walk in our room... Or I continue walking and check on Sakura.

The latter won that battle. I walked up to and in Sakura's room, careful not to step on any blood with my bare feet. The room still smelled like 100 different people were murdered in there; gory. Sakura's chest was slightly moving up and down...

She's alive. That's all I needed to know.

I turned around and walked in my room with Naruto. That was all I needed to know.

...

I wasn't able to sleep. Not only did images of a dead Sakura keep filling my mind every time I closed my eyes, but I was paranoid. I was paranoid that the person would either come back and finish their job, or the person would come in my room and kill us. Even though I was dead tired... I stayed up. I stayed up and kept my dagger at an arm's length. Thinking back on it... Naruto didn't look sleep either.

We didn't say anything to each other.

* * *

**Sunday, April 21st**

Naruto still wasn't talking. Sasuke came out of his room from time to time, but he was quieter than he normally was. Sakura was still unconscious. Kakashi-sensei was awake, but he stayed in his room resting most of the day.

What did I do? The other me told me that if I didn't want us all to die, I'd need to train. I was surprised that he would be willing to tell me what to do, but he wouldn't tell me anything else. After pushing for more information, he told me I'd need to start climbing trees without using my hands.

For some reason... I knew exactly what he meant. Maybe it's another memory from my past life, but I swear I can see Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, running up trees using chakra.

I tried to push Naruto into doing it... I tried so, _so_ hard... But he was too depressed to do anything except lie around, much less respond to me. He would just grunt every time I tried to communicate with him.

Sasuke was hardly any better. I thought that if I push Sasuke into training with me, Naruto would follow. Not only did Sasuke reject my advances to train, but he even tried to fight me! Like, what the hell?!

After leaving a stomped-to-death Sasuke grumbling and muttering curses on the floor, I went to Kakashi-sensei's room. He was awake at that time, just looking up at the ceiling. I told him that we'd need to hurry up and train before Zabuza heals up, but he just waved me off after saying we'll do it tomorrow. But I had a very, _very_ bad feeling about that...

So I went into the forest to try and practice more chakra control. That was really the whole point in climbing trees using chakra... And a few other important uses. Anko-sensei told me that bringing chakra to your feet was one of the hardest things ever, and added with the fact that I kept on putting _waaay_ too much chakra down there...

Let's just say Day 1 of training was a complete failure. I would have probably stayed outside to train longer, but paranoia mixed with everyone worrying about me being gone led to me going back as soon as it got dark. I was hungry, too.

* * *

**Monday, April 22nd**

Monday... Today is a terrible day that I want to delete from my mind forever...

"**Alright, you maggots! Your slack-ass Sensei is being a slack-ass, so it's now my duty to make sure you all don't grow mushrooms on your unmentionables waiting for him!**"

* * *

_**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I... Uh... I don't know what to say about this chapter. Hopefully it's good. I think it is... I think. God... I'm so awkward. So freaking awkward! **_

_**Next chapter will hopefully lead up to the fight with Zabuza on the bridge! I don't want to spend 20 chapters on The Wave Mission... WE NEED TO HURRY THIS SHIT UP!**_

_**Wow... I feel derp.**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**Kage Kurai: Oh, yeeeah. That's what clan Haku is from. I totally forgot. And~ yeah. That ice manipulation is bad ass. I wouldn't want to be an Uchiha... They have too many issues going on. Lol. And you don't like Kiba either?! I... I have a newer respect for you... Oh! We should make a I-Hate-Kiba-Club! Who's with me?! And I used to adore the Akatsuki. First Sasori was my favorite character... He died. Sakura helped kill him. My hate of that bitch multiplied after that. I liked Deidera after that... He died. Sasuke killed him... My hate of him multiplied, too. Then it was Hidan, but after he died I just stopped liking the Akatsuki all together. ∩_∩ **_

_**WomanSlayer: YOU'RE BAAACK! AAAAAHHHHH! I LITERALLY CRIED EVERY NIGHT WHEN I DIDN'T SEE YOU REVIEWING ANYMORE! I JUST DIDN'T SEE ANY POINT IN LIFE! Phew... Now that that's over. I hope you're enjoying this new story, too! I know I'm enjoying making it (All of my other stories are suffering a long hiatus because of it). I hope you continue reviewing and I hope you enjoy what's soon to come.**_

* * *

**Fanfic Suggestion (A Fanfiction You MUST Read!)!**

**Title: Chunin Exam Day **

**Summary: Naruto finds he is flung back in time and must complete the entire Chunin exam over and over and over, until he gets it right and possibly saves Konoha in the bargain. **

**Author: Perfect Lionheart **


	12. Anko! Intense Training! And Sakura!

_**Author's Notes: Wow~! I got quite a bit reviews for the last chapter! (In my standard, at least.) Why do so many people want Sakura dead..? There was one (or two) that felt a little sad for her... But... Well, you'll all see later, anyway.**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: If there was one person in the Naruto universe who you'd want brutally murdered... Who would it be? (And it can't be Sakura! Lol.) And if you could fall in love with any Naruto character... Who would it be? **_

_**Answer: I'd want Kiba or Kabuto brutally murdered! Kiba is my worst enemy... And Kabuto is just self explanatory. And~ I'd either fall in love with Ino or Tenten. I just like Ino! And Tenten... Hehehe...**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated T for language. OC Self-insert**_

* * *

_**(Pointless) Disclaimer: I dooon't oooooown Naaaaaruuuuuutooooo~! I think.**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 12_

**Monday, April 22nd**

It was another normal, boring day. Tazuna should have _been_ working on the bridge again by now... But he was still too scared to even leave the house without a suitable bodyguard. None of us fit that description. Naruto? Too depressed. Sasuke? Too broody. Kakashi-sensei? Too lazy. Sakura? Too de- I mean unconscious. Me? I don't give a fuck what happens to Tazuna at this point.

Kakashi-sensei was at least up and moving today, if only with crutches. He told us all early in the morning that we'd need to have a team meeting in the evening. I was kind of anticipating this, especially since then I'd get a chance to talk to Naruto without him being all sad. And Sasuke might stop glaring at me all the time. What'd I do to him anyway?

...

_Sasuke was hardly any better. I thought that if I push Sasuke into training with me, Naruto would follow. Not only did Sasuke reject my advances to train, but he even tried to fight me! Like, what the hell?! _

_After leaving a stomped-to-death Sasuke grumbling and muttering curses on the floor, I went to Kakashi-sensei's room._

_..._

Yeah... I have no idea at all why he'd be mad at _me!_

"Good. You're all here," Kakashi-sensei said when we all walked into his room. "As you all know... We have a few, uh, urgent things we need to talk about."

"...Such as?" I asked when Kakashi-sensei started staring at Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto had his head down while Sasuke looked completely uninterested.

"First... Sakura. Do any of you know what happened?"

No one said anything, so I had to talk again, of course. "Someone broke in and tried to kill her," I said, ignoring the way Naruto flinched. "They escaped when we heard Sakura scream..."

Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Now... Who do you think attacked her?"

"It was that bastard Zabuza, wasn't it?" Naruto grumbled. My eyes widened as I heard the pure **hatred** in his voice. It was also the first time I've heard him talk in a while. His voice was obviously pretty hoarse.

Kakashi-sensei waited for a second before shaking his head. "No, it wasn't Zabuza. I don't know if I said this already, but It'd take at least a week before Zabuza could do anything. Especially something like this."

"So was it his partner?" I asked. I knew that wasn't the case, but I just wanted to see what Kakashi-sensei said about it.

Surprisingly, he smiled at me. "Hold that thought, Jalen. I have a few more things I need to ask." I nodded. "Why do you think they attacked only Sakura?"

"I think the person would have killed all of us in our sleep, but they missed Sakura's throat, making her scream, and waking us all up," I decided to say. If it _is_ someone from my world... I don't know why they'd try and kill us all, though. Maybe they just wanted to kill Sakura because they didn't like her? I don't know...

To this, Kakashi-sensei shook his head. "That's not the case. They were purposely seeking out Sakura." To this statement... I felt the room get a little colder. "I did a little searching around... And it seemed like they got in through Sasuke's window. It was the only one not locked. If they got in through Sakura's window, they would have left it open to escape... Not break through it."

All eyes in the room turned to Sasuke, who scowled under all the attention.

"Do you know why your window was unlocked, Sasuke? And did you hear or see anyone coming in through that window, Sasuke?" Kakashi-sensei asked. His eyes were so calculating and-

"**YOU BASTARD!**" Naruto screamed, jumping up. "You must have known who did that to Sakura, meaning you were trying to kill Sakura, too!"

"No, I didn't!" Sasuke screamed back, jumping up and glaring back at Naruto. "I didn't know that my window was unlocked, idiot! And I didn't see or hear anyone coming in because I was sleeping!" He then turned to Kakashi-sensei. "And that's dumb! They wouldn't just walk past me, the last Uchiha, and go to _Sakura's_ room! If it was Zabuza or his partner, then they'd dispatch us the moment they saw us!"

"Meaning it wasn't Zabuza or his partner," Kakashi-sensei summarized. Everyone was silent at these words. Naruto reluctantly sat back down, and Sasuke did, too. "It was somebody else entirely. Someone that didn't want to harm Sasuke, but wanted to harm Sakura, for some reason."

That... Well, if it _is_ someone from my world... If Sakura was the person's least favorite character... I guess that they would only want to kill her off. But... But that'd endanger the whole series! Are they _that_ dumb to do something so... So... So freaking stupid?!

"W-We don't know anyone who'd want to do that," I said nervously. Kakashi-sensei eyed me for a second before sighing.

"They probably weren't trying to kill anyone. Maybe they were in here to just look at us, but since Sakura woke up they didn't know what else to do _but_ kill her," Sasuke mumbled, still scowling at the earlier assumptions.

"That's a good point, Sasuke." Kakashi-sensei halfheartedly smiled. "Or not. I doubt they'd just come in here to watch us. And they wouldn't have a weapon automatically on hold if they didn't want to harm any of us." He sighed. "We'll just have to wait till Sakura wakes up to get more answers. Anyway, I need to ask one more thing."

We all just nodded.

"If- I mean _when_ Sakura wakes up..." His eyes narrowed. "Do you all think we should abandon the mission and go back to the village to report this to the Hokage?"

The air around us thickened.

Leave? That thought never even crossed my mind! We can't just _leave!_ Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari would be dead the moment we step out the house! And it'd be especially hard to leave now because we actually know them now, and they'd more than likely beg us to stay! Leaving isn't even an option anymore!

"I'm not leaving," Naruto said, bringing me out of my thoughts. "I'm gonna get stronger and stronger and _stronger_ until I find the one who did that to Sakura and make them pay! I'm not giving up, I'm not running away, I'm not going to lose to them! I'm going to destroy Zabuza, his partner, Gato, _everyone_ that gets in the way! I'm going to stay here and protect Tazuna, Ms. Tsunami, and even Inari! That's my nindo; my ninja way!" He pointed straight at Kakashi-sensei. "**Believe it!**"

There was a moment of silence as Naruto's words echoed throughout everyone's head. Sasuke frowned, I stared, Kakashi-sensei smiled, and...

And Naruto, the most depressed one in the house for the past two days... The Naruto that wouldn't even talk to me, **me**... The Naruto that just now proclaimed his undying will in front of us all of us...

He grinned. Naruto actually, truthfully, _**grinned!**_

Kakashi-sensei turned to me. "And what about you?"

I awkwardly smiled. "If Naruto's staying here then I'm obviously going to be here to protect him." I rolled my eyes. "Don't be stupid."

Kakashi-sensei turned to Sasuke. "And you?"

Sasuke snorted. He didn't answer, but that was probably a "Yes" in his language. Kakashi-sensei seemed to think so, too, because he didn't question any further.

"Good then," he smiled. "You can come out now, Anko. These three are more or less serious about this mission."

My heart stopped. Anko-sensei's disturbing chakra filled my senses. Her disturbing laugh echoed throughout the room. Her soft but dangerous hands caressed my face from behind, making me tense.

"I see you haven't kicked the bucket yet, kid," she whispered in my ear. "I like prey that can keep going after losing a limb." And _that's_ when I turned around and practically _jumped_ away from her.

"Wh-What the hell are you doing here, Anko-sensei?!" I screamed, my face hot and my eyes burning a hole through her. She just smirked, placing a hand on her hip.

"What kind of greeting is that?" She asked. "Even after I brought my way down here in your time of need... Let's face it; you'd all be dead by Saturday at this rate."

I just growled in response, already knowing this. I've calculated that Zabuza will be ready to fight on Friday... And if we keep procrastinating he'll find Tazuna's house and kill us all by Saturday. That's Why I've been trying to train alone but it's pointless if I'm the only one. And the bastard in my head won't give me any advice that I need!

Naruto blinked. "Uh, er... Kakashi-sensei, who is this crazy lady?" He asked. "And how does Jalen know her?"

Kakashi-sensei and I sweatdropped. "She's a Jounin of our village, Naruto; Mitarashi Anko," Kakashi-sensei answered.

"And don't call her crazy... I don't think I'd be able to protect you from her," I added. I then sighed. "You've met Anko-sensei once or twice, Naruto. You probably forgot. She's the one who's been training me separately from the rest of y'all... I've told you some stories of her, haven't I?"

Naruto scrunched his nose up in confusion before gasping in realization. "Yeah! I remember, I remember!" He exclaimed. "You said that she was a perverted, insane, creepy snake living in the body of a woman!"

...

I tried to run beforehand, but no matter how fast you are, you can't escape a perverted, insane, creepy snake living in the body of a woman when she's mad. Especially when she's on a sugar-high from just being inside Sakura's blood stained room.

She grabbed both Naruto and I, threw us both on the ground, and continually stomped on us while laughing maniacally.

...

"S-So... What are you doing here, Anko-sensei..?" I asked after she was done murdering us. Naruto was still trembling in fear. "Or rather... Why are you here?"

"I'm here to train your sorry asses since your lazy ass sensei can't! Why?" She grinned. "I sensed you were in trouble so I decided to come help. I thought it would just be a gang of bandits, but I never thought it be someone like Zabuza and Gato..."

"Wait, wait, wait! How could you sense that I was in trouble?!"

As if on cue, I felt something wriggling around in my hair. I, instantly alarmed, started patting and scratching in my hair.

I felt something warm and scaly.

A snake dropped out of my hair.

It slithered towards Anko-sensei, who picked it up and dropped it in her coat. I gaped. Naruto gaped. Sasuke's eyes widened. Kakashi-sensei raised a brow.

"_**WHAT THE HECK?!**_" Naruto and I screamed, me frantically running around in panic.

"What just happened?! Why was their a snake in my hair?! When and where did it get in there?! How did it get in there?! Are their any more on me?! Aaaauuuuggggghhhh!" I started to strip, first taking off my shirt and then my pants, trembling all the while.

I'm terrified, no, _mortified_ of snakes! Just the thought of one being on me is enough to... To... To..!

Anko-sensei was on the floor, dying of laughter. "Hahahaha! Oh, God, whatever you do keep your underwear on, sheesh! Hahahaha!"

Naruto was looking away awkwardly, Sasuke was looking away disinterested, while Kakashi-sensei was just smiling at me. Freak.

"W-Well?! Why was their a snake, that obviously belonged to you, in my hair?!"

She stopped laughing, coming down to giggling. "I'll answer every single one of your questions, okay, brat? What just happened? A snake came out of your hair, obviously. Why was it in there? I put it in there to be able to sense your chakra from afar, so I sensed you were in trouble a few days ago and since I had nothing better to do, well, I asked the Hokage where you went and came. When and where did it get in there? I put it in there when you first told me you were going on a C rank mission. Remember? At the dumpling shop? How did other get in there? I sent it in there when you turned around and started to walk away. You didn't sense it because I made it so it has little to no chakra and you didn't feel it because it's so small and you never really check in your hair for snakes. And are their any more on you? The answer to that is... Well, why don't you take off those boxers and see?"

"I'm sure she's just joking," Kakashi-sensei piped in before I actually took off my last article of clothing. What? I'm fucking scared of snakes! Remember my phobias? Orochimaru? I'm pretty sure snakes are one of them. "Anyway, she came here a while ago earlier this morning. But, Anko, you must have been pretty worried to get here so fast... This is a feat, even for a ninja, you know?"

"So this lady knows about Sakura?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. Anko-sensei just nodded. "What are you here for, anyway? Just coming to check on Jalen can't be the only reason!"

Anko-sensei grinned maliciously. Kakashi-sensei smiled knowingly. Sasuke raised a brow. Naruto squinted in confusion. I gulped.

"Anko is here to train you three while I stay here and watch over things. I can keep a watch on Sakura's condition and make sure no attempts are made on Tazuna's life," Kakashi-sensei informed us. "I'm obviously still chakra exhausted, but I can at least do that. Anko will be the one to train you all before Zabuza's predicted attack." He smiled. "_Good luck._"

I tried to run again... I even sent a whole bunch of chakra to my feet to boost my speed... But Anko-sensei caught me, grabbed everyone else, and we were off to who-knows-where...

...

"Alright! Get your asses ready for some training!" Anko-sensei announced. She teleported (or whatever) us to a clearing in the woods by Tazuna's house. We are now standing in front of her, getting ready for our training session.

It's a good thing we can finally train, though. I was getting worried.

**Heh, you better be thankful that lady came when she did... You'd all definitely be 6 feet under, otherwise.**

_Yeah, yeah... Finally talking again, huh? _

**Shut your damn mouth, dumbass. I'm not in the mood. **

_Oh~? Someone's angry that I'm not gonna die, aren't they? Well, boohoo for you, bastard. _

He didn't say anything else so I sighed. Our relationship... Isn't getting better. Not like I care, but it sucks having a bastard stuck inside your head.

At least Naruto isn't as depressed anymore, though! He's actually smiling!

"So, we're first going to review what chakra, the ninja's basic source of power, is... And all that crap," Anko-sensei said, sounding less energetic than she was before.

"_We know that,_" Sasuke sighed.

"He's right!" Naruto nodded. "A long time ago we learned about, uh, catra!" Uh...

"Your blond is showing, kid. It's called chakra, _chakra!_" Anko-sensei facepalmed. "God, what are they teaching at the academy these days?" Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, whatever... I taught you about chakra, Jalen, so teach your idiotic teammate."

"Whatever," I sighed. "Chakra is the elemental life energy a ninja uses in Jutsu; it's the source of all his power. This energy has two forms: Physical Energy which exists in all the cells of the entire body all working together, and Spiritual Energy; the primary source of power which is intensified through training and experience. These two types of chakra must be drawn out and brought together in order to perform Jutsu. Blah, blah... Bringing them together perfectly... Blah, blah... That's the key, or whatever," I groaned. "I'm tired! This is annoying! This will just confuse them, including me if I think about it too much!"

I looked up at Anko-sensei. She was glowering over me, a long, thin senbon in her hand. "What did you say..?"

"N-Nevermind, damn it," I growled. "Uh... Hand-Signs, also known as Hand Seals, focus and unleash the chakra."

"Tch, nerd."

"**SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HAD ME MEMORIZE THIS FOR A WHOLE FUCKING DAY, YOU CRAZY BITCH!**"

"Now, now, calm down," she chuckled. "Do you have any questions, blondie?"

Naruto was flustered. "U-Ugh, come on, what's the big deal with all these complicated explanations?!" He asked. "The whole point is to learn the Jutsu, isn't it?!"

"Naruto's right for once," Sasuke agreed. "We're already using chakra energy in our Jutsu."

"Nope. You're far from mastering this power, you haven't even come close to surface of it," Anko-sensei waved them off. I sweatdropped.

"**WHAT DO YA MEAN?!**"

"Shut up and listen. It's just like this nerd said."

She's pissing me off.

"You have to draw on Spiritual _and_ Physical energies and then combine them within yourselves, but how do you do that?" She sighed, the signaling of another speech. "Each Jutsu requires different types of chakra in different proportions. You must select and combine them in exactly the right way. Until now you've just guessed at the proportions, hoping they'd come out right. Even if you produce a whole bunch of chakra, unless you can balance and control it, it's all worthless. The Jutsu won't work at all, or it'd just be a joke," she looked at me. "_You_, in particular, waste so much energy doing that. What if you run out of chakra and can't fight back? You'll just be prey."

"Tch, nerd."

"Ah, don't try and switch it up on me now, brat!" She exclaimed, grabbing me and putting me in a choke hold. I just sighed, not even trying to resist.

"Uh, so how do we end up not being prey? Ehehe," Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Train so hard that controlling your chakra becomes second nature," Anko-sensei answered, still not letting me go. "To achieve this goal... Dying shouldn't even be a problem to you..."

We all gulped, the air becoming thicker.

"What do we have to do? What? Tell us!" Naruto practically begged. Anko-sensei smirked.

"That's easy... You must climb a tree."

And with that Anko-sensei climbed a random tree by bringing chakra to the soles of her feet and not using her hands. Cue gasp. Sasuke asked how would that make them stronger. Anko-sensei replied with a speech about how hard it is to balance the chakra to your feet and doing that means you have good chakra control and can use the precise amount of chakra for a Jutsu and blah and bluh and blegh. Naruto asks how will that help against Zabuza. Anko-sensei snaps on him and tells him it just will. I yell at her to stop being a bitch to Naruto. She yells at me to stop protecting my boyfriend. I throw a kunai at her. She blocks it and throws a senbon at me. I dodge it and...

And at the end of the day Naruto and Sasuke end up vigorously training to climb trees using chakra while Anko-sensei and I end up in a sparring match to the death.

Let's just say... We're all tired in the end... Really, _really_ tired.

* * *

**Tuesday, April 23rd**

Tazuna finally grows the balls to leave the house and work on the bridge today. Kakashi-sensei finally gets off his lazy ass and accompanies Tazuna, being his bodyguard. Inari continues to brood and cry in his room. Tsunami is in a chipper mood with a new Jounin here to protect her and...

And Sakura woke up. Naruto, Sasuke, Anko-sensei, Tsunami, and I were just downstairs eating breakfast when we heard someone coming downstairs. We all just thought it was Inari because, well, we just did! But they were coming down the stairs slower than the little boy...

And then we heard a groan. Sakura's groan.

"S-Sakura..?" Naruto mumbled, trying to rub the sleepiness out if his eyes. Another groan. "S-Sakura..!" Naruto jumped out of his seat and ran towards the stairs. I looked up, still tired and confused, and that's when I heard Sakura speak for the first time in days.

"N-Naruto... Naruto, what's going on..?" She asked, her voice hoarse. I gasped. Sasuke gasped. Tsunami gasped. Anko-sensei chuckled. Naruto cheered.

"SAKURA! YOU'RE AWAKE! OH, SAKURA! SAKURA!" He ran up the stairs and Sakura yelped in surprise. Sasuke and I got out our seats and ran to the stairs to witness what was happening.

Naruto was practically raping (metaphorically, of course) Sakura, crushing her frail body in a bear hug with tears coming out of his eyes and snot coming out of his nose. Sakura looked, to say the least, discomforted and dazed, just standing and looking at us with a blank expression while Naruto raped her.

**You're sick. **

_Metaphorically, of course! _

"Sa-Sakura," Sasuke breathed, his expression one of disbelief, before controlling his emotions and putting his face back into it's regular bored way. But... But then he smiled. "You're finally better now..."

I awkwardly grinned. "D-Done taking a nap? We've been waiting forever... Sakura."

And then she fainted.

Hehehe, yeah. Let's just say Naruto's sobs turned from joy to sorrow _reeeally_ fast. Anko-sensei had to shut Naruto up (by threatening him) and carry Sakura's unconscious body back up to her room (Anko-sensei cleaned the blood when she got here).

We trained a lot more today, too, Anko-sensei over-watching us. She mostly just threw random crap at us while we were climbing and laughed at our failed attempts. Only when the sun was setting did Naruto have enough.

"_**WHY IS IT SO HAAAARD?!**_" He screamed, having a little tantrum on the ground. He was covered in dirt from head to toe, and a knot was forming on his head from falling on it too often. I would catch him sometimes, sure, but that only ended in us both getting hurt...

Sasuke didn't show that he was tired, if his ragged breathing and dirt on him didn't give it away, but I'm sure he was having a tantrum in his head.

Even I was past the point of irritation. So much to the point where I would use every bit of my breath to cuss Anko-sensei out whenever she threw something at me, and then use whatever strength I have left to punch the ground whenever I fall. Tree climbing _is_ hard...

And it's harder because I'm not originally from this world and I'm still not completely use to using chakra, so I still put too much chakra in it when I should have less, and I still put too less chakra in it when I need to put more. Even though I'm training my ass off, I just don't see much improvement! It's so fucking irritating!

"You three aren't going to beat Zabuza by just sitting there! Go on already, you twerps!"

"**AAAAUUUGGGHHH! AND I'M TIRED OF YOU!**" Naruto screamed, glaring and pointing at Anko-sensei who was reading one of Kakashi-sensei's perverted books. "All you do is YELL and YELL and YELL for us to do better, but you aren't teaching us shit! And then you laugh at us when we fail; you're the worst teacher ever!"

"Then," she sighed, closing the book. Uh-Oh... "Why don't we do something else? I've grown tired of watching you all fall on your asses."

I tried to run, again... But you should know by now it's impossible to get away from Anko-sensei... It's just impossible.

...

Dinner that night was tiring, to say the least.

Tazuna, Inari, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Anko-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura (surprise, surprise), and I were at the dinner table eating while Tsunami was at the sink washing dishes and whatnot. Naruto and Sasuke was gorging themselves, Naruto stopping once in a while to talk to Sakura. Anko-sensei was still reading Kakashi-sensei's Ichi Ichi Paradise... I hope she doesn't get addicted to that like Kakashi-sensei...

Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna went to the stores and got the groceries for this big dinner. Tazuna was clearly in a better mood now, and Kakashi-sensei was getting around more and more without being a lazy bum.

Inari was just looking down at his food, brooding. I had the mispleasure of having to sit beside him, but our bad moods seemed to repel each other, so we said nothing.

Sakura was weak. Like, really weak. Like, I-Need-Food-In-At-Least-30-Seconds-Or-I'll-Die weak. She was chuckling along at everyone's different conversations, but that was mostly it. She hardly talked, and she had that blank look in her eyes the whole time. That near death experience must have really impacted her.

"I WANT SOME MORE!" Naruto and Sasuke yelled at the same time, holding up their bowls. They then glared at each other, electricity coursing through the space between them. It was slightly humorous...

After Naruto snapped on Anko-sensei earlier, she decided to pelt us all with senbon. Naruto and Sasuke then silently made a bet on who could dodge the most senbon, but Naruto obviously won since I blocked most of them for him. As if I was gonna let Anko-sensei skewer Naruto over something stupid. Since then, Naruto and Sasuke has some sort rivalry going on, or whatever.

Naruto and Sasuke then got dark green and turned away from each other, regurgitating behind their seats. That's... Nasty. And Ms. Tsunami is gonna have to clean that up, too...

"Hey, don't eat so much if you're just gonna puke it up, you blond!" Anko-sensei yelled, hitting Naruto in the head with her book.

"Why don't you hit Sasuke in the head, you witch?!" I yelled at _her_, pointing and glaring. "I'm pretty sure Naruto is hungry since you constantly steal his food, but Sasuke has no reason, so hit him!"

"It doesn't matter if the little runt is hungry or not if he just throws it up! Stop always trying to protect your boyfriend!"

"He's eating fast because he's scared your fat ass will take it from him; so throwing up is just what he has to do! And he's not my boyfriend, so stop being a bitch!"

"Fat? Did you just call me fat?! Oh, I'm so definitely killing your ass after this meal, you twerp!"

"Yeah, yeah... We all know you gotta eat before you do _anything_ else."

"Why, you..!"

"Now, now... Don't kill each other while you're at the dinner table," Kakashi-sensei said. Anko-sensei glared at the other man, before huffing (and puffing and blowing the house down) and sitting back in her seat. "And Naruto, Sasuke, I know you two must be hungry and all, but puking won't help you."

While Tsunami began cleaning up the puke (I feel for you, girl), Anko-sensei and Kakashi-sensei talking about Ichi Ichi Paradise, Naruto and I talking about the ramen we'll eat when we get back (if we get back), Sasuke and Inari brooding, and Tazuna talking about random stuff no one cared about, Sakura got up weakly and started to walk around.

No one really cared because, well, what are we supposed to care about? She's a weak, little girl who almost died... What are we wondering about if she justs randomly gets up? She needs to regain most of her strength anyway... And tell us every detail of the night-that-won't-be-spoken-of when she feels ready to talk about it.

After Tsunami finished cleaning up all the puke and pouring us some tea, we all heard Sakura's voice.

"E-Excuse me," she said, her voice soft. "This picture is torn... Is there some reason for that?" She was standing by the wall where, true to her words, a torn picture was hung up. It had Tsunami, Tazuna, and a (surprise!) smiling Inari! And to the left was a big tear that made me think there was somebody else purposely torn out. "Inari, um, you kept glancing at it all through dinner. It looks like there was someone else in the picture but they got torn out... I mean, that's kinda strange, isn't it?"

Tsunami froze. Tazuna tensed. Inari instantly looked down.

...Okay... This is creepy.

"It's my husband," Tsunami said in a low voice. We waited for something else, _anything_ else for her to say, but she said nothing.

"They used to call him a hero in this land," Tazuna said, looking down. Inari slowly slid out of his seat and walked away, but although I'm sure nobody else could, I could see the tears forming in his eyes hidden under his hat.

"Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami asked, but Inari ignored her, opening the door to the hallway and closing it behind him. Tsunami swiftly walked past me and to the door, opening it. Before she left, however, she looked back and said, "Father, you can't talk about him like that in front of Inari, you know that! Ugh!" And with that she was gone, slamming the door behind her.

"That brat is so... Man, do you guys know how to discipline kids these days?" Anko-sensei asked before getting up and stretching. "I'm going to bed... You twerps should get to rest, too, because we're going to have a long day tomorrow." She Body Flickered and was gone.

"Hm... Is there a story behind Inari's actions?" Kakashi-sensei asked.

"...He wasn't his real father, he came into our family later... And he brought so much happiness. He and Inari were very close," Tazuna said. Naruto gasped. I just narrowed my eyes. Is he... Is he dead..? "In those days, Inari used to laugh all the time... _Gah_..." Tazuna was shaking by now, tears threatening to fall out his eyes. "_But then..!_"

"Hm?"

"All that ended... He never laughs or smiles anymore..!" Tazuna said, tears now running down his face. "Ever since the day everything changed."

"What changed?" I asked. He's going too slow, damn it!

"The word _courage_ was stolen from this island. We were left feeling powerless, _hopeless_, and Inari suffered the most!" Tazuna exclaimed. "Ever since that day; ever since _it_ happened."

"Tell us," Kakashi-sensei said. "What happened to Inari?"

"First you need to know about the man; his father... The man who taught us the word courage, who was a hero in this land."

"A hero? Really?"

"You can decide that for yourself. He came here about a year ago... Inari was being bullied by the kids in this land. They threw his dog in the ocean and then threw him in the ocean to save it. Interestingly enough, at that exact moment, Pooch, the dog, learned how to dog paddle. The dog ran away and the kids chased after it, leaving the drowning Inari to, well, drown. Right before he actually did drown, though... A man saved Inari and scolded the kids. He then cooked Inari some fish he caught. His name was Kaiza, a simple fisherman who'd come her from another land to follow his dreams. After that... Inari and Kaiza were inseparable. The boy'd never known his father, so you could imagine what it meant to him to have Kaiza in his life. He looked up to him and followed in his footsteps like a real father and son. Kaiza spent more and more time with us until he just naturally became a member of our family. And then when this town needed him he became something more..."

And then Tazuna explained in full detail how Kaiza saved the whole land from a flood. Or rather, the lower district, but he still saved a lot of lives. And then Gato came... That bastard. Gato just couldn't have a local hero in his way, so him and his whole gang... Stopped Kaiza.

They killed him in front of everyone! Even Inari! They just sliced him up! They killed Inari's father in front of him!

My hate of Gato increased so much...

Naruto suddenly tried to get out of his seat, but he instantly fell on the ground.

"What are you doing down there, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"You better take the day off tomorrow. No more training," Kakashi-sensei said. "You've used too much chakra. If you push any harder, it'll kill you."

"I'm gonna prove it," Naruto mumbled. I tilted my head to the side. What is he talking about?

"Prove what?" Sakura asked.

"I'll prove that... That it's true! That in this world..." Naruto awkwardly stood up, his legs trembling. He was so desperately out of chakra. He grinned, "**There are real heroes!**"

I grinned as well. _Yeah, Naruto... You show Inari that... And... _My eyes sharpened. _I'll be the one to kill Gato..._

* * *

_**Author's Notes: Hehehe... Sorry guys. I thought that I would get to Zabuza after this chapter, but I wasn't so lucky. But don't worry... There will be a fight next chapter, just not against Zabuza. And who else is loving Anko right now as much as me? Anyone?! **_

_**Oh, and I've updated my profile! Go and read it if you like! And Yeah... Sorry for not updating last week. But this is a SUPER large chapter, so blah!**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**DaOneInDaCorner: Shishishishi~ I'm glad you liked my last chapter, and I hoped you enjoyed this one, too! And Yeah... I just couldn't get enough of Psycho Stalkers from The Future Diary so I just HAD to put it in my story. I HAD too! **_

_**Dark Murcielago: Thanks for reviewing and Thanks for loving my story! And gaara? Jalen and GAARA?!... *World Implodes***_

_**X: No, no... You're not a terrible person for wanting Sakura dead. You're a completely normal person for wanting her dead. (*^**__**﹏**__**^*)**_

_**Ssup7750: As much as I want her dead, I'll explain why I really can't have her dead. Naruto would be totally depressed and angry and just might go Nine Tails Mode if Sakura died. They won't get around to training because they'll be mourning too much, an eventually Zabuza and Haku would kill them all. Not to mention a CERTAIN SOMEONE that's appearing in the next chapter... Hehe... And YAY! A NEW MEMBER IN THE I-HATE-KIBA-CLUB! **_

_**Kage Kurai: Nope. I just couldn't think of a question (or I was too lazy) and... Yeah. But There's a question this time! I'm anticipating the results... *licks lips* And yay! Two members in my unofficial I-Hate-Kiba-Club! And thank you for liking this chapter! **_

_**xXTraineraXx: Le gasp! You feel... R-Remorse for SAKURA! Leave. Just... Just go... ... ... Ha! Just kidding! I love all my readers, including you! Here, have some TEA!**_

* * *

_**AND... Yeah. I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to answer the question of the day… And don't forget to read my updated profile (Did it for LOLs). **_

_**Bye niI~!**_


	13. Fights, Fights, and Just Overall Drama

_**Oh, God… I would've had this out yesterday but my tablet, like, had a heart attack and died… So I couldn't do anything. I think I'm going to have to get a new charger… But, if worst comes to worst, I'm going to have to get a new tablet (Which probably won't happen until Christmas…), so… Ugh. I'm going to have to get use to writing on my laptop… If I ever get a chance to use it, since this thing has battery problems.**_

* * *

_**Author's Notes: Guys... 55 reviews. Fifty... Fucking... Five..! Do you guys know how many reviews Naruto: The New Story got? 63. And that had, like, 30 chapters. This is a remake of that story, this is the 13th chapter, and it's got 8 less reviews than Naruto: The New Story. EIGHT! Do you all know how that makes me feel? It means I don't suck as bad as I used to... And that this is a BAD-ASS remake/story! **_

_**I have a some reviewers I'd like to thank. First... Kage Kurai. You've been with me since Naruto: The New Story. And you've reviewed every single chapter of this story, not mentioning being one of the only ones who answers my questions! (Seriously, people... ANSWER THEM! RAWR!) If not for you then... I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING ANYMORE! I'M GETTING TOO AWKWARD! **_

_**Second... DaOneInDaCorner. Thank you for also reviewing every single one of my chapters! I just love it when people actually take time to write a review... It warms me to my heart. Especially people who start reviewing when I'm on chapter 12 and actually go back because they actually forgot to review a chapter! Thanks so much! **_

_**And thank you everyone else who takes time to review! Your review is always read and will always be responded to (on the R.T.R. section). Thanks so, so much! **_

_**Now... Let's aim for NINE MORE REVIEWS AND SURPASS NARUTO: THE NEW STORY! HAHAHAHAHA!**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: Oh, God… I'm running out of these… Uh… What would be your Japanese name if you had one? **_

_**Answer: My Japanese name would be Satoru or Ryuga or something like that. Hm… Satoru Shinukawa… Or… Ryuga Takahashi? /shot**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated M for language. OC Self-insert**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would have either BEEN come back or died… Kiba would have died instead of (SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!) Neji… And Kakashi and Anko would DEFINITELY hook up. I mean… IT'S JUST PERF! /shot**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 13_

**Wednesday, April 24th**

Two more days until Zabuza is predicted to fully recover. I'm pretty anxious about the fight, but if Kakashi-sensei fights Zabuza again and Anko-sensei fights Zabuza's partner while we just back them up/protect Tazuna then I'm pretty sure we have a good chance of winning. Not to mention Kakashi-sensei already beat Zabuza once and Anko-sensei... I just can't picture her losing a fight. I just can't.

Yesterday, after Naruto proclaimed that he would show Inari that there is true heroes he wobbled back outside to the training field, even though it was night time. Sasuke followed him to train, but came back a few hours later. Alone.

_"Where's Naruto at?!" I questioned when I didn't sense Naruto nearby, meaning he wasn't coming, meaning Sasuke must have did something! "I swear if you killed him I'll slit your throat right here!"_

_Sasuke looked unfazed by my death promise (not a threat. A __**promise**__) as he replied, "That loser decided that he'll stay and train all night. If you're so worried about him then why don't you go see if he's alright?" And with those words he pushed past me, walking up the stairs and presumably to his room. Or to the shower. I would advise a shower. _

I didn't go check on Naruto that night because of one thing... Or rather, a few things. I was tired. I was still angry (at Gato). I wanted a shower. And, quite frankly, I've had enough of sleeping outside when we were coming here.

So I just nonchalantly walked upstairs and took a long, hot shower before going to sleep in my shared room with Naruto. Alone.

Ya know... The mood worsens when Naruto isn't here. To be more exact; my mood. I'm sure you've noticed by now that the only thing keeping me sane is him. Or rather... His chakra. Sure, the only reason that I'm so determined on protecting Naruto is probably his chakra or the fact that he let me spend the night over his house the first time I came here... But it's added with the fact that I really don't want anyone to die. So I'm not just protecting him because of my selfishness... But...

If Naruto were to get killed... I don't know what I would do. I don't think I'd kill myself brutally... But I'd probably starve myself. And if I don't starve myself then I'll just brood in my apartment until I run out of ramen noodles...

I doubt Anko-sensei would let me do that, though. She'd personally kill me herself than let me rot away in my room...

...

"So... I guess I'm stuck here... Hehe... Hehehe..."

The next day (today) I got up and looked around. Naruto wasn't in the room still, and I didn't sense him downstairs either. I started to shiver when last night's nightmare started popping up in my mind. Another one about Orochimaru...

I sighed as I grabbed my clothes for the day (Black Shirt, Orange Jacket, and Blue Pants) and a towel and walked out the room and into the bathroom. After the needed shower I went downstairs for breakfast. Tsunami was obviously cooking while everyone else was sitting at the table waiting for the food. I took the empty seat beside Anko-sensei and muttered a "good morning" before resting my head on the table and waiting for whatever Tsunami was making this morning.

After breakfast we immediately started our tree climbing training. Naruto was already up and running up trees when we got there. It seemed like that late night training really helped him, because he was catching up to Sasuke at an astounding rate.

I, on the other hand, was still behind Sasuke and Naruto in this exercise. Sasuke grunted in all his smugness every time I fell and Naruto chuckled sheepishly before encouragingly telling me to try again. Anko-sensei just laughed. Being the dead weight really isn't fun at all...

So, after about three hours of Naruto and Sasuke improving and me failing did Anko-sensei get enough of it. She grabbed me when no one was looking and Body Flickered us to a different part in the forest.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"You're pitiful. It'll reflect on my training skills if you are so obviously lagging behind those two, so we're going to train on our own to bring you up to their level."

And that's exactly what we did. And, if I thought Anko-sensei was hard on me earlier, then I was terribly wrong. She... She was like a demon.

She just had to up the training to the most extreme level in the world! Like, what the hell?! She beat the shit out of me when I fell off of the tree, and sometimes she'd just send snakes after me! **Snakes! **And snake bites hurt.

Not to mention that I'm terrified of snakes. And I've grown a fear of getting pummeled by Anko-sensei. So... I really tried my damn hardest to not fall off of the tree. And if I did somehow lose balance of my chakra control I would stab the tree with a kunai and hold on for dear life.

...

That night... Naruto stayed outside to train some more, to the annoyance of Sasuke and I (for totally different reasons, mind you). Sakura wasn't fully healed, but she was healed enough to talk bad about Naruto again (something about him not being able to catch up to Sasuke even with him training all day), so I felt she was healed enough to take my bashing again.

"I see you two are at each other's throats again," Kakashi-sensei commented. I scoffed, turning away from her.

"It's important to snuff out a problem before it gets too big. Sakura's forehead is a perfect example of this," I said with a smirk, mentally praising myself for the joke. She scowled, turning tomato red.

"You... You troglodyte! Just being in the same house as you for this long is mentally draining," she said. "There's plenty of things that piss me off about you! 1. You should learn how to treat a lady! You treat Anko-sensei and I like dogs! And you probably think Ms. Tsunami is some kind of slave, too, right?! You disgust me!"

"I treat you two like that because you _aren't_ ladies," I said matter-of-factly. "The only lady here is Ms. Tsunami, which I don't think is a slave, wherever you got that from, and Sasuke for obvious reasons." I glanced over at the now scowling Sasuke. I looked back at Sakura. "You're more of a transvestite than a girl, flat-chest, understand?"

"How dare you call _me_ a girl while you take a shower every five minutes?" Sasuke growled. I blinked.

"That reminds me... It's time for my shower," I said absent-mindedly, getting up from my seat and walking away from my two fuming teammates.

"I'm the last Uchiha! You should watch your mouth before you say something that you'll regret."

"Yeah, yeah... Uchiha pricks and what-not..."

"You have no idea who you're talking about! My clan and I have been through more things than you could imagine. You're **nothing!**"

_Superiority complex much?_

**Exactly. Every word he says grates my ears. The Uchiha were just fools with a dumb hatred. They thought everyone around them was the enemy, but it's kind of ironic that one of their own kind was the one that exterminated them. Pitiful. **

_Hey... Is that right? I feel like I've heard that somewhere, or something like that..._

**Probably remnants of your past life. The only reason I know about it is because I have your memories.**

_Ah, interesting. I should probably get off my lazy ass and research the village when we get back._

**If you get back, you dumbass. **

_Yeah, yeah... _

"The Uchiha were just fools with a dumb hatred. They thought everyone around them was the enemy, but it's kind of ironic that one of their own kind was the one that exterminated them. Pitiful," I pirated. Kakashi-sensei's eyes widened, Anko-sensei smirked, Sakura gaped, and Sasuke...

Sasuke gaped at first, then glared at me with a fury that could rival Hell.

"You bastard," he mumbled, and with those words he rushed me, his arm bending back to knock me into oblivion.

As if I'd let him. I know what can bring someone to the point of wanting to fight, so I foresaw his attack a mile before even he knew what he was gonna do himself. I slightly jumped back to avoid the punch and grabbed his arm, tossing him across the room.

"Gah!" He coughed when he hit the wall, but a second later he was back up, lashing at me. A punch to my face. A punch to my stomach. A chop to my neck.

All avoided. Dodging his attacks were fairly simple, especially with him not thinking because of his blinding fury. Sure, he grazed me, but nothing more than that. He was getting angrier by the second as he realized none of his attacks were working.

Then he kicked at my side.

As much as I wanted to block it to make him madder... I didn't see it coming. I was knocked to the floor, but I brought my hand up and cartwheeled back up.

Then came the shuriken.

Now was I thinking _Oh, __**shit.**_I wasn't expecting him to actually throw things at me! Those things could kill me! Did I really make him so mad that he's threatening, no, trying to kill me?!

It took all the speed I could muster to take out a kunai and block the projectiles, each one making a _klink clank_ sound as they hit the floor. A sound that would have been dulled by flesh tearing if they actually hit me.

His hard look didn't leave as I blocked the shuriken. It also didn't leave when I slowly stood up and tossed my kunai on the ground. It _did_ leave when I slid out my dagger and began walking over to him, killing intent leaking from my eyes. I was gonna kill him. He tried to kill, or severely hurt me, so I'm gonna put him in a body bag.

What he did surprised me.

"**Konoha!**"

My eyes widened. I gaped. My feet got numb. My legs buckled and I fell to the ground. My arms and hands got weak, making me drop my dagger to the ground beside me. My heart began pounding in my chest and my throat seemed to close up. My eyes started to water...

This jerk... This bastard! He said it, he said **the word!** He knew I was gonna kick his ass, so he did that one thing that he knew would stop me! All he has to do now is toss a few shuriken and I'd be dead. All he has to do now is rush up and I'd be defenseless.

And it's all because of my stupid fucking eyes!

Oh, but I'll show him. All I have to do is look him up in the eye and tell him to kill himself and he would. All I have to do now is just stare him in the eye and his life is **over! **

A chuckle escaped my lips as I realized he just dug his own grave.

Before I could look up, though, Anko-sensei suddenly appeared in front of me and held her hand over my eyes. It took a good few seconds of confusion to realize she was picking me up and carrying me away. It took a good few seconds to realize she was saving Sasuke's life.

"Let go of me, Anko-sensei! Let go!"

She was cracking up in response. "Man, _I_ should get a Genin squad if this is the stuff that happens! Ha! You can't hog these twerps all to themselves, Kakashi!"

"This _was_ the squad that was predicted to be the most dysfunctional... But, I didn't think it'd be this much trouble," I heard Kakashi-sensei say. And then I heard Sasuke smugly chuckling before snorting.

That laugh seemed to say one thing to me. _I've got you. _And he wasn't lying. All he has to do is say that word and my chakra would plummet, practically ensuring his victory unless a miracle happens. And now that I think about...

**If he keeps on sayin' it... You'll die. You'll die of chakra loss. And I can't help you with that, much less want to. If I were you... I'd either kill him now or avoid him from now on. **

"It's like he's holding a chain connected to my neck," I mumbled when I felt Anko-sensei taking me upstairs, my eyes still covered. "He... He's got me..."

"Hm?" Anko-sensei said. "What'd you say?" I didn't answer. Tears were forming in my now-red eyes as I glared into her palm. Memories of Orochimaru chuckling while standing over my defenseless body plagued my mind... Then images of Sasuke chuckling over my defenseless body plagued my mind.

**"...FUCK YOU, UCHIHA!"**

Anko-sensei tossed me in my room after that. She yelled that talking about my teammates like that is a bad idea, especially since I'm most likely going to have to keep my life in their hands one day. She then told me to rest up because she was going to train us like Hell tomorrow... So I basically spent most of the night just looking you at the ceiling.

I thought about how Naruto was probably training his ass off right now... I thought about how Sakura still didn't tell us who tried to kill her... I thought about how I still didn't tell Kakashi-sensei why I fainted when first meeting Zabuza... I thought about how weird Naruto acted when we first got here... And I thought about how I still didn't confront Inari about the way he's acting. Well... He saw his dad die right in front of him... That's something that can screw someone over. Seriously.

Remember the piece of paper I always keep in my pocket? I don't usually take it out unless I'm putting it in the pants I'm wearing that day, but I took it out and stared at the name sloppily scribbled on it. And I cried. I cried and cried and cried.

Because I couldn't figure out who's name that was.

* * *

**Later That Night…**

**Third Person P.O.V**

The house was quiet. Everyone was sound asleep in their room, Anko deciding to sleep in Jalen's room, much to the boy's dissatisfaction. Even Sasuke went to bed early after getting a long lecture by Kakashi to never say that word ever again around Jalen. Unless Jalen's trying to kill him, that is… And there's a good chance for that. Kakashi wouldn't allow it, but who knows what's going on in Anko's head? She might purposely sick the two pre-teens on each other for a good laugh!

So… The house was silent. Everyone sound asleep. Until one of the Demon Brother's snuck in the house. He was as quiet as a mouse; jumping through Sakura's broken window and using chakra to dull the noise he made when he landed on the ground. His poison-coated claws seemed to tingle with excitement as he looked at the sleeping form of the girl. She seemed to be having a nightmare.

He walked right past her, not even sparing a second glance. It was obvious she would yell if he were to attack her, and he didn't want to risk that chance. He was going for the big dogs… First the man that killed his brother… And then the Bridge Builder. Ah, yes… The reason they attacked the ninja in the first place; the Bridge Builder. He reminisced through all the times he shared with his brother, up to the very last battle. The battle where, for some odd reason, he fled and left his brother to die at the hands of the Copy Ninja. He would kill the Copy Ninja… And then kill the boy that made him run.

And then… Hehehe… He would find some way to satisfy his bloodthirst by torturing the last Genin to death.

He used a bit of chakra to Body Flicker through the closed door, not wanting to make any sound at all. This was a dangerous assassination mission… And he would complete it if it was the last thing he did. He carefully walked down the halls, his claw twitching with every step. He wanted to stab somebody, **kill **somebody to revenge his dead brother! The anticipation was driving him insane!

Then a door opened. The Chuunin quickly prepared himself for a battle, his face grim and serious but his spirit practically cheering for someone to kill. A boy groggily walked out the room, rubbing his sleepy eyes. The Demon Brother lunged into action, his clawed hand preparing to deliver the killing blow.

"Die, you Hidden Leaf scum!" He couldn't help to yell. It wasn't _that _loud, so the people downstairs probably didn't hear it… But he probably woke up everyone upstairs. And he definitely got the attention of his prey.

The boy turned around at the last minute, his eyes wide. His bright _red _eyes wide. The Demon Brother was filled with rage. This was the boy that made him run away… This was the boy that made him leave his brother to die! A sadistic grin found it's way on his lips as he plunged his hand straight in the boy's stomach. It didn't go through his body like he wanted… Because, for some odd reason, he was immobilized again. Looking into the boy's eyes immobilized him…

The boy opened his mouth up to speak, but suddenly coughed up blood. Even though the Chuunin couldn't move, he found himself grinning. The boy was stabbed right in the stomach with a poisoned claw. There's no way he could find the strength to say whatever he was about to say, and there's no way that he could do something to the Chuunin.

All he managed to do was slowly take the claw out of his stomach and fall to the floor, blood coming out of mouth and stomach. The Demon Brother found the strength to move again. And he moved.

Because two senbon pierced him in the back.

"GAH!" The Chuunin swiftly turned around and backed up, but two more senbon pierced both of his arms! He stumbled back and heard footsteps approaching. And then he felt himself being kneed in the chin! He flew to the wall and just sat their for a moment, using every second to process what just happened. Whoever the person was that did this was not a Genin. The ninja moved too fast and hit too hard to be a Genin. But… Was it the Copy Ninja?

"Jalen!" The ninja, a woman, exclaimed, bending down to the boy he just killed. "Are you alright? Come on, twerp, you can't be dead!"

_It's not the Copy Nin,_ The Demon Brother thought as he stood up._ It's a lady, probably a Chuunin. She shouldn't be that difficult to handle… But I need to turn on some lights or she'll destroy me with senbon. _

"I'm going to kill you," the lady said with a giggle. "I'm going to fucking decapitate you!" And she charged, throwing two more senbon at the other ninja's legs. They tore flesh, but that wasn't going to stop the man. He was going to kill the Copy Ninja… So this lady wasn't going to be a problem!

They clashed, clawed fingers versus kunai. But he had more than one hand… He slashed at her arm. She screamed and stumbled back. He then slashed again, but her kunai took the hit, knocking it away. She jumped away farther into the darkness where he couldn't see, but that was fine. The poison works fast, so she was probably dying away. The boy was most likely already dead…

_But, _The Chuunin started to stumble, his vision getting a little blurry. _Why… Why do I feel so sick..?_

"You're sick, aren't you?" He heard the lady again. "You aren't the only one that works with poison. Those senbon I threw at you were just drenched in that purple goodness." The Demon Brother's eyes widened. He… Had been fighting someone that had him poisoned from the start? She was good…

"You're good," he mumbled, straightening himself. "But not good enough! I am known for relentless fighting, no matter if all my bones are broken!" And he charged, shocking the lady. And with a swift motion, he stuck his claw straight through her throat.

It was his worst, and final, mistake.

The lady that he was fighting started to deform. And in the blink of an eye it was a bunch of snakes that he just put his hand in! And they were biting already, some of them slithering up his arm and some going up his legs!

"AHHHH!" He screamed, trying desperately to get away, but the snakes held him in place. "H-HELP ME!"

"I _am _helping you, darlin'," she said from behind him. He gulped. "The snakes biting you are both harmful and helpful. You see, your whole body will be numb after a while. And then you won't feel a thing…"

The man didn't say anything at first. His life started flashing before his eyes. All the good times in his life… And all the bad times. This was what he deserved, after all. He left his brother, the most important person in his life, and now he was dead. It was only natural that he was killed, too…

"Thank you," Meizu, the last Demon Brother said, and closed his eyes.

Blood was splattered.

* * *

**Thursday, April 25th**

I woke up with a headache and a bad pain in my stomach. The sunlight was shining in my face… And I felt strange. Like, dirtier than usual. And then I opened my eyes.

Everyone, and I mean _everyone_, was standing over me.

"Jalen!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly hugging me as soon as I sat up.

"Ow, ow, ow! Naruto!" I groaned. For some reason… Naruto hugging me just made my stomach hurt more. And then I realized I was shirtless with bandages wrapped around my torso.

"Get off of him, idiot!" Sakura yelled, glaring, but her eyes were red. Was she crying earlier?

Naruto obeyed Sakura's orders, but he was still a little too close for comfort. On that note, everyone was. They all just stared at me… What was going on..?

"What's going on?" I asked, and they all seemed to blink in confusion.

"You were stabbed in the stomach," Sasuke answered, and then turned around. "He's fine." And with that he was gone. I felt like there was a reason to yell at him, but I ignored it, being more confused than mad.

"I don't understand," I mumbled. Anko-sensei decided to speak up.

"One of the bastards that decided to attack you on your way here decided to sneak in the house, probably to assassinate Tazuna, but you had the unlucky satisfaction of meeting him in the hallway. He stabbed you with his poisoned claw, you fell to the ground in a heap of blood, and I luckily came and killed him in time!" She said happily.

The whole world seemed to stop.

I... Almost died? No... I should be dead right now, right? I was actually stabbed in the stomach... And I fell unconscious. There was no going to meet my inner self… Nothing. I should be dead...

And there was no way I could have known or prepared for it. That's the scary thing about it. I'm never safe. Even with two Jounin and three Genin, each either trained murderers or training to be murderers, my life could have easily been taken in the blink of an eye.

And there was nothing I could do about. I can't read the future, I can't know anything that's going to happen to me. And it was so... It wasn't melodramatic at all. There was no epic fight to the death... There wasn't even time to acknowledge I was dying. It just... Happened.

And I wouldn't have ever known the reactions to my death, or ever even had the chance to think about the reactions to my death. If what the other me is saying is true... Then after I die he would retake his body. Would he laugh triumphantly as he reigns havoc with the knowledge of everything that was going to happen in the future? Would he kill everyone just for the satisfaction of killing someone and just leave?

Or would he... Or would he just act like nothing happened and trick everyone into believing he's me, screwing things up whenever he damn feels like it?

...I could practically _feel_ him grinning.

Or what if he doesn't retake his body at all? What if he dies along with me? What would everyone else do..? Naruto would probably be distraught with the fact that practically his only friend, the only one his age that really liked him, was dead. And he would probably blame himself. He might think that he was never destined to have friends because of the Nine-Tails, and that I died because I was his friend... I fear what he would have done after that realization.

Kakashi-sensei would probably just mourn for a good while before sealing my dead body up in a scroll and forfeiting the mission, blaming Tazuna lying about the mission details for my death. Naruto wouldn't mind leaving now, probably not caring what happens anymore. Sakura would undoubtedly cry and remember all the bad memories we've shared. And Sasuke... Wouldn't care at all, probably. He'd say that's what I get for saying those things about his _beloved_ clan.

And Anko-sensei...

…

They're still staring at me. Are they waiting for me to say something?

...What am I supposed to say? I walk out my room in the middle of the night... And I'm suddenly stabbed in the stomach? Am I supposed to laugh in this situation?

"...Hahahaha," I chuckle nervously, sweat dropping at their deadpanned reactions.

"You're an idiot," Sakura mumbled before getting up and walking out. "I can't believe I was actually worried about you."

"Kids are made of steel these days," Tazuna mumbled before walking out. Tsunami and Inari followed.

"...Okay," I mumbled while blankly looking at Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, and Anko-sensei. Kakashi-sensei was boredly reading Make-Out Paradise, Naruto was just staring at me, and Anko-sensei was unnervingly tapping on the floor. "What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"The _poison,_" was all she said. I understood immediately.

"Poison resistance," I answered. Her eyes seemed… Glossier than usual. And before I knew anything… She was hugging me.

"_Me, too._" And the hug was over as swiftly as it started and she was gone. I was… Shocked, to say the least. Anko-sensei is never one to show emotion other than irritation and sadistism (If that's a word). And… She just goes and hugs me out of the blue?! That's… Was she that worried about me? Was I really on the verge of death?

"Jalen," Kakashi-sensei called out, bringing me out of my thoughts. "I actually have some things to talk to you about. First… Remember when you fainted when Zabuza first attacked? You said you choked on chakra… Explain."

...Why is he asking this _now? _When I've just escaped death by, like, a hair?

"Uh… I'm very sensitive to chakra. It's all in the air and everything… So, when he did that Hidden Mist Jutsu it was filled with chakra and I guess my mind put it in the same category as water and I felt like I was drowning and my throat was closing up and… Are you understanding any of this?" I asked. Naruto tilted his head, but Kakashi-sensei just nodded.

"Kind of… It seems to me like it's psychological," he stood up. "I'll think about this… Also, try not to get in another fight with Sasuke. I'm not telling you to get along with him… But don't say what you said yesterday. That was over the line… If you do, well, let's just say I can't blame him for whatever he does." And with that he was gone, but that slight threat hung in the air…

"What will that bastard do?" I huffed and layed back down on my covers, completely forgetting about Naruto right beside me.

"Did Sasuke do something yesterday night?" Naruto asked, his brows furrowing. I just sighed, noting the malice in his voice. It's nice to know that he cares about me, but it really makes me wonder about this team's future.

Sakura's in love with Sasuke, finds Naruto an annoyance, and probably hates me. Sasuke finds Sakura a nuisance, thinks Naruto's a useless idiot, and probably hates me/thinks of me as some rival, as twisted as that sounds. Naruto's in love with Sakura (as disgusting as that is), probably hates Sasuke/thinks of him as a rival, and treats me like his own brother. Well, if he knew how to treat a brother, or a family member for that matter. He just treats me as kindly as he can; however he thinks family members treat each other.

And I dislike Sakura, hate Sasuke, and treat Naruto like he's royalty. For a good reason, I'd say, but probably some weird obsession to others.

"We're so twisted," I summarized. Naruto looked at me in confusion, but I sat up and started talking before he could question it. "Hey, shouldn't you be outside training your ass off? Why are you back here all of a sudden?"

"Ah, I, uh… Sasuke came and told me that you got attacked. I rushed back as fast as I could," he answered. I nodded. That made sense. "And, uh… Remember when you said that you were going to tell me about that super awesome Jutsu that you can't use under any circumstances? Well… Can ya tell me? Hehehehe…" He grinned, laughing.

I sighed. Didn't he see it already? "Well… Uh, if someone says our villages name and I hear it, then my eyes turn bright red and whoever looks at it gets paralyzed and I can practically force them to do stuff. Like a super-powered Genjutsu." Naruto was furiously nodding in amazement. "But… Everytime I use it my chakra plummets and my body just weakens considerably. You could say it's my biggest weapon… And my biggest fault."

"So, so… You can use it to destroy an enemy but then you'll be defenseless against other enemies?" He asked. I just nodded. A shower would be good right now… "Well… You won't have to worry about being defenseless! Because I'll be there to back you up if you ever get in a situation like that! We'll be the perfect Tag-Team!" He exclaimed, grinning.

My eyes widened. That… Actually makes sense. If I ever get in a situation where I use that forbidden move on an enemy but another enemy comes… Naruto could be there to pound them/protect me! It's so simple… Yet, ingenious!

I smiled. "Yeah… The Uzumaki Brothers Tag-Team." His eyes were the ones to widen this time.

"Uzu… Maki?"

"Yeah! We're brothers, aren't we? Then, since I don't have a last name…"

_More like the bastard in my head won't tell me it._

**Hehehe…**

"We can both have the same last name! _Uzumaki _is actually pretty cool," I said, nodding at my own greatness. "Wait… If it's alright with you, that is. I'm not trying to be rude."

He looked flustered. "Y-YEAH! We can have the same last name! That's so cool… Believe it!"

I just laughed as he reddened even more. Naruto is usually the one that does things on his own with no thought whatsoever, never being embarrassed about anything, and always trying to show someone up, so seeing him like this is just hilarious!

"Actually, Jalen…" He started, looking down. I stopped laughing, looking at him in confusion. This reminds me of the time when he was acting weird when we first got here. "You, uh… Just… Don't die." And with that he swiftly got up and turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Because you're always dying!" He yelled, still looking down. "You're always going unconscious and making everyone think that you're dead, making _me _think that you're dead… You saw how I acted when I thought Sakura was dead, and she doesn't like me at all… So how do you think I felt when _you _died? I was going to be alone again... My only real friend, my _brother_ was dead..."

"N-Naruto..."

"You're always saying that you're going to protect me... But protect yourself first! If you died protecting me... I'd just end up hating myself. At least die protecting yourself! Don't worry about me... Because if you knew what I was..."

A pause.

"I know I'm being selfish by asking you this... But, please... Just don't die," he turned around and smiled at me. A fake smile. "Okay?"

I... Was taken aback. I really didn't know how to respond, and before I knew anything, he was gone.

...

After another hour or two of resting I felt good enough to leave my room. Or rather, I was tired of just staring at the ceiling all day. So I got out, took a shower, and shakily went downstairs. Naruto, Sasuke, and Anko-sensei wasn't here, probably outside training again. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura were sitting at the dinner table, looking quite bored if you ask me. Tsunami, Inari, and Tazuna was nowhere to be found, probably in their rooms or something.

"Oh, Jalen, it's good that you came when you did," Kakashi-sensei greeted. "I was just thinking about going to check on Naruto and Sasuke's training results. Would you two like to come?"

"Sure, I'll go, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura nodded, picking her head up from the table.

"I'll go, too," I said, and with that we were gone, walking to the training spot. On the way there, though, Kakashi-sensei started a conversation. A conversation that we've all wanted to hear for a while now.

"So, Sakura... You still haven't told us about that night when you were attacked," Kakashi-sensei started, eying her from the corner of his eye. "Sorry if you aren't ready yet... But you can't put it off forever. You're the only real witness to the incident, so you're the only one that can help us figure out who this person is that-"

"It was a girl."

"Hm?" We all stopped walking, now looking at Sakura.

"Crimson red eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness... That seemed to pierce through my soul," she started to ramble, her eyes widening as she hugged herself. "Long, dark blue hair..! A crazy sadistic smile..! She had an axe! She was trying to kill me..! She was trying to kill _only_ me!" Sakura was on her knees now, sobbing in her hands. "She was so scary... She was so evil..."

"Do you recognize her from anywhere?" Kakashi-sensei asked, bending down beside her. "Do you think you've ever seen her before? In our village... Anywhere?"

"No... I've never seen her in my life," she mumbled. "I don't feel so good... Can I go back, sensei?"

Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Yeah... Go back to Tazuna's house and rest. We'll be there soon..."

I just watched as Kakashi-sensei calmed Sakura down a bit more before sending her off back to Tazuna's house. Kakashi-sensei and I walked over to the training field and was met with a shocking discovery. Naruto could climb high up the tree... And I mean _high!_ He wasn't at the top, yet... But I'm pretty sure where Naruto is right now is an achievement for a Genin.

And then he fell. But then Sasuke ran up the tree and caught him in time. They both got pretty high... Way higher than me. But, it can't be helped. I'm in no condition to train... The only thing I can do is cheer Naruto on.

* * *

**Later That Night...**

Tazuna, Inari, Anko-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and I were sitting at the dinner table while Tsunami was just now placing the food on the table. Naruto and Sasuke were still outside training... Which was worrying me considering all the things that's been happening.

"Now they're both late," Sakura sighed. "I wouldn't have suspected that from Sasuke..."

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing Naruto and Sasuke sluggishly walking in. Sasuke was surprisingly helping Naruto walk; they must have trained _really_ hard...

"What have you two been up to?" Tazuna asked. "You guys look like something the cat dragged in."

"I hope you two weren't doing anything kids your age shouldn't be doing," Anko-sensei said simply while sipping her tea. I just sweat dropped while Naruto and Sasuke ignored her comment.

Instead, Naruto weakly grinned. "We both made it... We climbed all the way to the top..!"

"Good," Kakashi-sensei nodded. "Now we move on... Starting tomorrow you're both bodyguards for Tazuna." Naruto and Sasuke's face both brightened up considerably. Kakashi-sensei turned to me. "Jalen and Sakura; you two will stay here and guard Ms. Tsunami and Inari while we're gone. Anko will be coming Naruto, Sasuke, and I."

There was supposed to be a cheer. Some kind of signal that meant all our training paid off... That even after everything that happened... Everything went smoothly. There wasn't. There was a pregnant pause as Kakashi-sensei's words hung in the air.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I yelled, slamming my hands on the table. "You can't be serious! Sure, of course Sakura will have to stay since she won't be much help anyway and she literally almost got her head chopped off, but what about me?! I've been training my ass off-"

"And you're still not good enough," Anko-sensei cut me off, still sipping her tea. "You have the worst chakra control in the whole group, and that's saying something since you've been through a lot harsher training than they have. Heck, pinkie here probably has better chakra control than you. And you're still injured... I don't recommend you doing any strenuous activity for a while."

I wanted to argue with her... But even though I didn't want to admit it, I knew she was right. And that pissed me off. It's not my fault I'm from a different world and I'm still not completely use to using chakra...

And here I thought everything was going to go smoothly.

**You can't be surprised. This isn't some silly story; you aren't goin' to come from another world and be the strongest person ever with just a month or two of trainin'. Even you should find some of the things that's already happened a little unbelievable.**

I didn't respond. I just gingerly kept my mouth shut and started eating. Because I knew everything they were saying... Was true.

After the food was done I still kept my mouth shut and listened to the conversations everyone was having.

"In just another week... The bridge will be finished," Tazuna said. "I have you all to thank for that."

"You've all done great, but you've still got to be careful," Tsunami said, picking up the empty dishes.

"...I've been meaning to ask you this, but I haven't had the chance until now," Tazuna started, looking at Kakashi-sensei. "Why did you stay to protect me, even after you found out I lied to bring you here and all the bad things that's been happening since then?" He asked.

"_Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage… But under the wing of a strong leader; cowardice cannot survive,_" Kakashi-sensei replied, probably reiterating a quote or something.

"Huh?"

"That was a quote from The First Hokage," Kakashi-sensei said.

There was a moment of silence as everyone took in the quote. Naruto had his head to the table, probably sleeping or something. No… He's not sleeping; his chakra doesn't show it. He's probably just tired from a long day of training…

Suddenly, I heard water dropping. On the table. In front of me.

We all looked up at Inari, who was silently crying, for some odd reason. What's wrong_ now?!_

"But, why..?" He mumbled, tears silently flowing down his face and onto the table below.

Naruto looked up, then, not looking too happy. "What'd you say?" He asked.

Inari slammed his hands on the table, standing up. "**All this stupid training is just a waste of time! Gato's got a whole army; they'll beat you down and they'll kill you! These cool things you all say… They don't mean anything! No matter what you do… The strong always win and the weak always lose!**"

"Just speak for yourself," Naruto shrugged the boy off, resting his head back on the table. "It won't be like that for me… You got that?"

"Why don't you be quiet?! **Just looking at you makes me sick!**" Inari yelled, tears falling more violently. "You don't know anything about this country, you're just butting in! Always laughing and playing around… **You don't know how it feels to suffer and be treated like dirt!**" My ear twitched.

"Why don't _you _be quiet?! You're the one who doesn't know anything!" I yelled, slamming my hands on the table this time and glaring at the boy, making him wince. "You're talking like you know any of us; which you don't! You have no idea what the boy you've been yelling at has been through, you don't know what _any _of us has been through!"

"Jalen, stop-" Naruto tried, but I ignored him, cutting him off.

"Just looking at _you _makes me sick! Acting like a stupid little victim when you still have a family to greet every fucking morning! Everybody you're bad-mouthing, minus Sakura, _doesn't_ have any family! Some of us _have_ been treated like dirt! **So just sitting there and being an ungrateful brat just because a man who wasn't even your real father died is stupid!**"

"Jalen, you're going too far!" Sakura yelled, but I ignored her, standing up and starting to walk away.

"I just can't understand how someone can be mad at _us _for fucking protecting _his _ass," I mumbled, walking upstairs. The last thing I heard from downstairs was Anko-sensei laughing her ass off and Inari screaming things that I honestly couldn't care less about. "...I need a shower."

* * *

**Friday, April 26th**

"Okay, I'm hoping that you two can protect Ms. Tsunami and Inari," Kakashi-sensei said, Tazuna, Anko-sensei, Naruto, and Sasuke standing behind him. It was still early in the morning. They were leaving to bodyguard Tazuna as he builds his bridge… And fight off Zabuza's attack, if he comes, that is.

"I'm sure they'll be great protectors," Tsunami said, making Sakura smile. I just grumbled, still tired and still irritated from last night.

"Okay, let's go!" Tazuna grumbled, and they were off.

"Good luck, Naruto!" I lazily wazed. He energetically waved back, happily trotting off behind Kakashi-sensei and Tazuna. I felt a pang in my stomach watching them go… Without me. All of them leaving me behind with _Sakura_, basically telling me I'm on the same level as this… Urk.

"Try not to kill anyone, twerp!" I heard Anko-sensei yell… And then they were really gone.

"Okay, you two can do whatever it is you guys do while I start washing the dishes," Tsunami said. "Sakura, would you like to help?"

"Y-yes!" She exclaimed. "I'll do anything you ask, Ms. Tsunami. All I want is to be of assistance to you in any way!" I rolled my eyes at that, walking in the house upstairs to my room. I'll keep a watch on any foreign chakra signatures, but I doubt anything exciting will happen.

**Hehehehe… Be careful of what you wish for, dumbass…**

_Not in the mood…_

After a while of just messing around with my chakra… I heard Tsunami calling Inari for something. I had my door open, so I just watched as the little brat stomped past my room and downstairs. I didn't miss the dirty look he gave me. I'm sure he didn't miss the gesture I gave him.

And then I sensed two unknown chakra signals… And they gave me a chill down my spine. Definitely dangerous…

**Hehehe… Let's see how you handle these guys, dumbass. I'm hoping for your death, you know…**

_And I'm hoping you'll rot away in my deepest most unheard of subconscious. _

...To be honest… Maybe I _should _have been careful of what I wished for…

* * *

_**Author's Notes: DONE! IT'S DONE! I NEED TO HURRY AND UPLOAD… BECAUSE IT'S FINALLY DONE! NOT EVEN GONNA SPEND TIME CHECKING FOR MISTAKES… IT'S FUCKING DONE!**_

_**My life is complete…**_

* * *

_**R.T.R:**_

_**DaOneInDaCorner: I'm glad that you like Anko's influence on the story! I just enjoy writing her… I really, really do!**_

_**Kage Kurai: YES! Thank you… I fucking hate Madara. I mean, I'm glad he saved Obito… But… GAWH! CONFLICTING FEELINGS! But, yes… I say that Madara and Orochimaru are the reasons the show took a turn for the worst (Not the show… the… story. I think.) And… Gaara? *Does a double-take* That's… Kinda weird. Considering how twisted Gaara's mind was in the beginning of the show, but I guess he's gotten better. I guess.**_

_**xXTrianeraXx: Orochimaru… Words can't explain my hate for him, too. I just never, ever liked him. I sometimes wonder how Tsunade and Jiraiya put up with him. And… Deidara? There's a first for everything, I guess… (BUT HIS HANDS HAVE MOUTHS AND TONGUES! THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT!) .**_

_**AnimeWarrioress 359: Yes. Someone shares my feeling of hate against both Kabuto and Orochimaru. And~ I guess that I could give Kiba a heroic death. Maybe. Probably a sacrifice. And I hate that the Academy did that to Naruto. But, he's not as cool if he's smart! Smart!Naruto is… Weird. 0_0**_

_**Dark-Wings the Kind: Yes… Just, yes. Destroyed is the right word. I want him completely demolished, I want his soul exterminated. And… You. Are. Awesome. I LITERALLY LAUGHED OUT LOUD WHEN I READ THAT! YOU COOL, BRO! YOU COOL! And Anko… Is actually a nice choice. One of the best ones I've read so far. I actually feel sorry for her having experienced Orochimaru and Kabuto both… (And it doesn't hurt that she is hot…)**_

_**The Highway In Between Worlds: My true opinion of Sakura? I truthfully don't like her (a lot) but I kind of enjoy some, I repeat, SOME of her moments. She's kinda funny at times, but at others it's just embarrassing to watch. You just wanna scream at her at times, you know? AND lol NO! He's not. I understand how you would think that, but if he's infatuated with anything of Naruto (I'm supposing you're talking about him), it would be his chakra. He really needs Naruto in order to continue living in that world sanely. That's why he's always trying to protect or even obsess over him. He's what's keeping him sane. **_

_**Decegon Bld: I'm so glad that you like this story and I'm also super glad that you reviewed, too! I try to be original compared to everyone else, so I'm happy that you said that. AND I'LL TRY TO UPDATE AS MUCH AS I CAAAAAAN! And thanks for the correction. I've decided I'll just stick with the English Name: Make-Out Paradise. I'm glad that you're enjoying, and I hope you continue to enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Uh… Bye nii~! Answer The Question of the Day, and make sure to tell me things that I should work on~! And if you have any questions then feel free to ask~!**_

_**Bye nii~!**_


	14. Jalen and Sakura vs Silver and Waraji

_**Author's Notes: I'm so glad you guys are favoriting and following and reviewing and calling my story unique (in a good way) and it's just really so... Completely nice. Too nice, in fact... ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO TRICK ME?! I'LL KILL YOU ALL! /shot ^_^¦¦¦**_

_**Uh... Enjoy? ∩_∩**_

* * *

_**P.S: So... It seems like my Tablet just wants to have different charging periods. One minute it'll charge fine (well... slower than usual, but hey, it's charging) and the next I have to continue screwing with the damn thing for it to fucking turn on! It's so... Aggravating. Good thing I'm typing this on Google Drive, so I can work on it on my tablet AND on my computer!**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: Do you have a friend in your neighborhood or at school that you talk about anime with? If you don't... Do you wish that you did? Why or Why not?**_

_**Answer: I'm literally forever alone with my anime-addiction. No one at my school likes anime and calls me weird for liking "Chinese" shows. And, the sad thing is (besides the fact that they call it Chinese) is that the only anime they know are, like, Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. So, yes, I really wish I had at least one friend who I could talk to about anime... Because I'm really getting sick of bottling it up all day while everyone else talks about who's playing in the next Football Game. Oh. I think I went a bit overboard this time, huh?**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated M for language. OC Self-insert**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm trying to sneak in Kishimoto's mansion, steal the documents to the show, and run... But... I'm currently being interrogated by the police right now... "I SAID I DON'T KNOW WHERE OBITO WENT! DAMN IT!"**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 14_

**Friday, April 26th**

I ran downstairs as fast as I could, already arming myself with my dagger. To be honest… _I'm scared._ The only reason I'm always jumping in front of Naruto and fighting is to protect him! But, Naruto's not here right now, meaning… Meaning what do I have to fight for?

Inari? Of course not…

Tsunami? I guess…

Sakura? Uhh…

I'm literally conflicted right now. And besides; it'll be _two _against _one!_ I'm almost positive that Sakura will be completely useless, again, and what if these guys are, like, Zabuza strong? Sure… Their chakra isn't really intimidating like his was, but still! Can I really win against two people..? And if they do manage to be capable of handling… Will I have to… Kill them?

I shake my head and push past Inari down the stairs, giving him a look that meant "Go upstairs… Now!" He either completely didn't understand or just decided to ignore me, because he just stood on the steps and gave me that "WTF?" look. Yes… I read faces.

Tsunami and Sakura were still washing dishes when I got downstairs, and both gave me a confused look at my worried face. And then…

And then the door was literally cut to pieces and two men appeared standing in front of the house, each armed with a katana. Now that I'm closer to them… I can tell they aren't ninja. One, they don't have ninja chakra. Two, I'm pretty sure that ninja would just sneak in the house like _everyone else just decides to do while we're sleeping. _

_Seriously._

Tsunami screamed, Sakura gasped, and Inari… Was still on the stairs, probably contemplating what that look meant. Idiot.

Both men walked in the house, making me step back a little but glare at them harder, practically clutching the weapon in my head.

"Which one of you are Tazuna's daughter?" The one on the left asked. He had straight, silver hair and a purple hat on… And there were tear-like markings right underneath his eye. Totally creepy.

"It has to be the tall, dark-haired one," the one beside him said. He had weird-looking, small ponytails on his head and tattoo markings all over his body. He also has on an eyepatch… Oh yeah, and no shirt on. "The pink-haired girl has on a ninja headband, so she's just one of those brats that Tazuna hired. The one trying to look intimidating in front of us also." I scowled.

"So you're Tazuna's daughter, huh?" The silver haired one smirked, looking directly at Tsunami now. She paled under his gaze. "Too bad… You'll have to come with us. Now!"

"Sakura, take Tsunami upstairs with Inari! Try to find some way to get out!" I ordered, tensing as they started walking towards us. "I'll… Try to hold these guys back!" Yes… Holding them back is all that I think I can do. These guys look freaking scary… Like, really scary… And as I said earlier, it's two against one.

"Not so fast," the silver one said, charging at us, unsheathing his sword. I gulped and willed my feet to move, rushing up to him and clashing my dagger with his sword. He was strong, but I added a bit (more like a lot) of chakra to my hands, somehow slightly overpowering him.

"Jalen!" Sakura and Tsunami screamed at the same time, both not moving from behind me. I told them to run, damn it!

"You're pretty strong, kid," the silver guy mumbled, smirking as he pushed harder, me trying to do the same. "Hey, Waraji, how do you wanna do this? Do we double-team this brat or do you wanna go after these two ladies yourself?"

"I'm sure you can handle that kid yourself," eyepatch guy, presumably Waraji, said, stepping past me and going towards Tsunami and Sakura. I internally screamed for them to move, but they did no such thing. Waraji grabbed Tsunami's arm, but she instantly grabbed a plate and tried to hit him with it. The plate just fell off of his muscle-y arm, but it did effectively make him let go of her. She fell on the floor, though, and the plate fell beside her, breaking. Sakura tried to take out a kunai and attack him, but he just grabbed her arm and tossed her across the house, making her slam into the wall with a pained grunt.

...Can I say _I told you so?_

"Sakura!" Tsunami yelled, but crawled back into a corner, Waraji sneering above her.

"Mother!" Inari yelled, suddenly running in the kitchen with us. I really just wanted to scream at all of them at this point, but I was still currently in a clash with the freak in front of me.

"_No!_ Don't come out here! Run away, hurry!" Tsunami screamed. Waraji turned around and just looked at Inari.

"Don't move."

Inari complied, staring at the scene in horror.

"Should we grab this one, too?" Waraji asked the man in front of me. The question made him lose his attention, just slightly, but that was enough. I swiftly kicked the man in the testicals and then jumped away, running past Waraji and in front of Tsunami.

"AAARRRGGHHH!" He screamed in pain, bending down to the floor. I almost smiled, but I didn't, paying more attention to the look of disbelief on Waraji's face.

"Did you just… Kick him in the balls?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you a ninja? Isn't that, like, against your _ninja way?_"

"It's two grown men versus one twelve year old. I can definitely tell you that I have no ninja way right now."

"I see."

"AAAUUUGHH! FUCK IT!" The silver haired one, who I just kicked in the testicals, weakly stood up, looking at me with so much hostility that I slightly cowered. "THE ONLY ONE WE NEED IS THAT DUMB BROAD; SO THE REST ALL **DIE!**"

"Alright," Waraji grinned, finally unsheating _his_ sword. "Then let's **waste** them! Starting with the little twerp!"

This is the time in the story where Inari runs upstairs and jumps out the window, running away to the bridge where all the super strong ninja are at. This is also the time where Sakura gets up and _helps me or die trying._ And the point where Tsunami slips past them while we're fighting and also runs away.

It's a shame that I'm the only one thinking logically.

Inari just whimpers, trying to hide half-way behind the wall. Sakura just looks on in horror, trembling and muttering to herself. And Tsunami is terrified. Hell... Even _I'm_ shaking in fear a little.

But, I guess I can't blame them all. Inari's, like, eight years old... The only thing he knows how to do _is_ wimper and cry. Sakura's still not fully healed from her experience with the blue haired demon... So she's practically more useless than usual. And added with the fact she was just thrown against the wall... She can't even _yell_ anymore! And Tsunami...

"Wait!" She screamed, kind of hyperventilating in panic. "Please don't hurt my son... I'm begging you, he's just a boy!" The silver haired guy turns our way, but Tsunami just glares at him in response. "I'll do... Anything. Just please don't hurt him."

The silver haired guy smirked, Waraji sheathing his sword back. "It looks like your mom came through for you kid... Lucky punk."

No... I can't let them take Tsunami away. Who's to say they won't kill us after they take her away? And if Kakashi-sensei and everyone else comes back and Tsunami is gone...

I can't even think of how disappointed they'd be... How _disgusted_ they'd be...

"Screw _this!_" I yelled, abandoning all common sense and grabbing Tsunami's hand, charging at the two samurai. I swiped at them, Waraji jumping back since he couldn't take out his sword in time but the silver haired jerk blocking my strike with his sword. But I wasn't trying to really attack them. I was trying to make a path!

I ran past the confused samurai and let go of Tsunami for a quick second, grabbing Sakura's hand and pulling her up.

"Can you run?" I asked. She was panting, holding her chest.

"I'm able to run," Tsunami offered, already rushing ahead and grabbing Inari. I grabbed Sakura's hand and followed Tsunami and Inari upstairs, the two samurai quickly understanding my plan and following us.

I know, I know... Going upstairs is stupid because all I'm doing is prolonging the inevitable since it'll be a dead end. Well, for Tsunami and Inari it will. And probably Sakura, too, since she's already struggling to breathe. _I_ can just jump out the window and gracefully land on my feet... But the mission is to protect them, not me.

...

It'll be my backup plan.

"You can't run forever!" Waraji exclaimed, swiping at Sakura's back. It missed her by a hair... It literally cut off a little piece of Sakura's hair. And that was scary.

It was a good thing we made it upstairs, though, because I can finally carry out my plan. I swung Sakura ahead of me, pushing her up to catch up with Tsunami and Inari.

"Try and escape through the window!" I yelled, turning around and immediately blocking a swipe that would have cleanly cut my head off. "It doesn't matter if you have to jump, just get out of here!" I added, having a good feeling that they would take their sweet time getting out. Just a feeling.

"You're dead, boy," Silver (that's his name now) said, bringing his sword up to cut me straight in half from the top. And since I was still clashing with Waraji...

I _was_ dead.

"Jalen, get down!" I heard Sakura yell, and started to contemplate. If I get down... I'll just be an easier target to kill. Both of them would be able to chop me up and step on my remains. But... If Sakura's doing something that could help me...

BUT WHAT CAN _SHE _DO?!

Well... If I'm gonna die anyway, I might as well just listen and hope for the most painless death possible... As painless as getting chopped up it.

I closed my eyes and did the matrix, loosening my grip on my dagger and letting it be knocked away. I felt cold steel on my cheek, and then a sharp sting. But that was it. I nervously opened my eyes and looked up to see them both blocking shuriken and kunai that was thrown at them.

Sakura.

Sakura... She saved my life. They can't kill me or they'd be stabbed to death by the weaponry... And now I have a chance to get away and plan my next choice of action. And I actually have a _veeery_ good idea...

"Keep throwing those weapons, Sakura!" I encouraged with a half-smile, almost wanting to praise her.

"Okay!" And thrown they were, the samurai not daring to do anything other than focus their attention on the weapons. I started to crawl away and turned into my room, swiftly grabbing the Explosive Tags Package. I almost forgot about these...

A careless mistake.

"Jalen, I'm... Almost out of weapons," Sakura breathed, panting as she threw her last load. I viciously tore open the pack, grabbing a whole bunch of explosive tags and running out the room. Sakura just ran out of shuriken and kunai, on the floor and panting. But it was alright, now... Because I was going to settle this now.

"You guys have really pissed me off," Silver groaned, panting as well. Probably the effects of me kicking him between the legs earlier. "I'm going to kill every single one of you, that kid as well!"

"Let's slaughter them!" Waraji yelled, and then he charged. I quickly started planting the tags on the walls around us, and when he was getting too close for comfort, just dumping the rest on the ground. I already put a lot (and by a lot, I mean the rest) of my chakra in the tags... So the only thing I need to do now is...

"Ka!" I put up a tiger seal, the chakra reacting with the seal and putting it on fire. "Burn in Hell!"

Sorry, Tazuna... Tsunami...

The whole area (and then some) between me and the samurai blew up in a big fiery bang. I jumped back at the last second but was still blown back and knocked into Sakura, both of us groaning in pain. Sakura screamed, Tsunami and Inari behind us screamed, and best-of-all… Silver and Waraji screamed. It was a scream that confirmed that they were right in the middle of the blast... That they were either dead or _very _close to it.

The thought made me grin.

"Yes! WOOHOO!" I cheered, jumping up and down. There was still a big grey smoke cloud in front of me, but I wasn't particularly worried about that. I was just happy, for some twisted reason, that I successfully killed them! I know, gasp and widen your eyes all you want, but when someone is rushing towards you with every intent on killing you; you do what you have to. And I had to kill _them _before they killed _me_.

It was really as simple as that. In this world, at least.

It's actually pretty funny, really. Right before all of this I was super nervous about having to actually kill them or if I was going to get killed. But now that I think about it… There's nothing to it…

It's not like I'm gonna throw up or anything (even though I didn't see their dead bodies, yet), and it's not like I'm gonna sit in a corner and mumble about being evil or whatever.

I feel... I feel relieved.

I feel ecstatic!

After cheering about how I outsmarted and killed them and what-not, I walked over towards Sakura, who was panting on the floor. I didn't expect her to be this weak, but I guess it takes time to fully heal. Heck, even I don't feel so good in my stomach area.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm... F-Fi-" The words got caught in her throat as her eyes widened and she gaped, looking behind me. I already had an idea of what I was about to see when I turned around... But no amount of fake images can prepare you for the real thing.

Silver was dead, that was for certain. His body looked broken and bloody, his eyes glazed. I don't think it was the explosion that successfully killed him... More like the giant piece of wood that fell from the ceiling and practically crushed him under it. And yes... There was a hole in the ceiling _and_ the floor.

Waraji... Oh, God...

I stepped back and tripped over the impending guilt, falling on my butt, right beside Sakura. She held her hands over her mouth as she silently screamed, tears running down her face.

Everything under his torso... **Gone.** Just... Think of how someone would look with half of their body literally blown off and blood falling out (like a solid) of his body. I could see the life draining out of him as he desperately held on to the ledge of the floor, everything behind him blown down to the first floor. Not to mention he was burnt badly and was bleeding everywhere... He really looked like a zombie.

D-Damn it... W-Why are my eyes sweating?

"_**AAAAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!**_" Sakura screamed right in my ear, but I didn't yell at her this time. I just trembled as Waraji held on tight to the floor, his face a mixture of pain, fear, and...

And looking like he's pleading for his life. The life that _I_ just took from him.

Oh, God... Oh, God. Oh, God, oh, God, _ohGodohGodohGod-_

And then the floor that his hands were pried too cracked and broke, falling to the first floor. And then, to make matters worst, a part of the ceiling fell and went right through the hole in the ground.

You know the sound of dropping a wet towel on the floor? That's the exact sound that was made when the piece of ceiling fell on him, crushing him and splashing blood and-

Sakura began to sob on my lap. "Why..?" Sniff. "Why, Jalen..? You-You-You killed th-them!" And the sobbing grew harder each second.

And then she threw up.

**HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! HAHAHAHAHA! Your faces! Their last faces! HAHAHAHAHA!**

_I killed them. _

**Yes! You killed them! You freaking killed them! Oh, Lord... I'm going to pee on myself! This is better than everything I've ever seen in my entire life! OHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! **

_I took away their life... I took away another human being's life..._

**Oh, you did more than take their life. You completely took off Waraji's entire lower half! **

_Their moms gave birth to them. Their parents probably showered them with love. And I just took away their babies... I just killed their pride and joy... _

**Well, to be honestly fair, they were trying to kill you. Actually, I'm pretty sure they've killed before, with the way they were so nonchalantly talking about killing an eight year old. You just got them before they got you. **

_I'm... I was so happy. I was celebrating, even. I didn't understand... I didn't fully comprehend what I just did. I had the same mindset as you; kill or be killed. But... That's wrong. That's just so, so fucking twisted..._

**It's life. Or rather, it's life in this world. Anyway, bottom line, you did what you had to do. You didn't have the power and ability to knock them out. You weren't thinking straight with them rushing at you with swords in their hands. You killed them because it was the only option left, and you know it. Do you think they would have left if you asked them to? They would have killed Inari, Sakura, and then you... And they would have probably killed Tsunami if Gato gave the signal. **

_...So it's Gato's fault. _

**Huh? **

_They were doing this because Gato told them to. If they disobeyed... Gato would have had men to kill them. They did it because they had to, like how I killed them because I had to._

I straightened up, awkwardly rubbing Sakura's pink hair with my hand, a hard look in my eyes.

_Meaning it all comes back to Gato. Gato killed Inari's father; Inari's an emotional wreck. Gato sent two Chuunin to kill us; both of them dead. Gato sent Zabuza to kill us; he's probably about to attack any day now, probably today! And Gato sent Silver and Waraji to kill us; and now they're dead. If it wasn't for Gato... None if this would be happening! He's the whole reason that we're desperately trying to survive every single day... He's the whole reason that everything bad is happening right now! _

**And? What could you possibly do? **

"I'm going to kill Gato," I mumbled. Sakura looked up at me in confusion with her blood red eyes.

"What..?"

"I'm going to kill Gato," I stood up, glaring at the bloody mess in front of us. "He's the reason all of this bad stuff is happening to us, Sakura. If he stays alive... We'll never be safe. We have to end him... We have to, Sakura."

"But, how?" Sakura asked. "We don't even know where he is, much less know who's guarding him. We don't stand a chance against him if he's able to take over The Land of Waves so easily."

_...Hey, can you please tell me a few things. I really want to kill Gato... And I can't do it without your help. I really don't know what to do next... Just..._

**Heh. So you've decided to stoop so low as to ask **_**me**_** for help? I don't know what to say...**

_Don't say anything. Just tell me what I need to know. _

**What's in it for me? **

_I'll... If I go after Gato's life then my life will also be in danger. I'll most likely die. If that happens then you'll get your body back and do whatever it is that you'll do with your body. _

**So... I'm helping **_**and**_** hurting you at the same time? It sounds interesting... It **_**really**_** sounds interesting... Okay, I'm in, only to see the show that you'll put on when you go to the bridge. **

_The bridge? _

**Yeah. Zabuza and Haku, Zabuza's partner that saved him, are at the bridge right now, probably fighting it to death right now with your precious team. **

I prevented myself from gasping, instead glaring at nothing in particular. Sakura was still slightly weeping, her face in her hands.

_You knew about this yet you didn't tell me? Naruto could be dead right now… And it'd be your fault because you didn't tell me so that I could prevent it, you bastard!_

**Hey, now… You're the only one that doesn't know their dad. Actually… Make that both of us. Anyway, you just killed two men and you're still worried about that kid's life? Is his life more important than theirs were?**

_They're already dead… There's still a chance for Naruto to be alive. And, yes, his life means more to me than those two. Call me a horrible person, but you can't tell me you would rather some other person that you don't know to live instead of a loved one. And also… Naruto's a main character in the anime called __**NARUTO. **__If he dies… This whole world is probably screwed._

He laughed. **You got that right, dumbass. Anyway… You wanted my help, right? Just going to the bridge to fight isn't going to help you against Gato… You need to do a bit more before Gato get's a DEAD END… You need to do some things that I'm not going to tell you willingly. If you ask, however… That may be a different story.**

I scoffed. _Of course I knew that. And I know that you're an egotistical selfish asshole... You didn't need to remind me. _

**Am I really the one that's being selfish, hm?**

_Enough. Did any of this happen in the original anime... Like, did these guys come to kidnap Tsunami? What happened? _

**Well, yes, these two did happen to come in the original anime. It's actually a good thing you killed them now; they would have caused trouble when you left. Anyway, they knocked out Tsunami and was just about to kill Inari before Naruto saved the day because he woke up late in the original anime and came back because he saw sword markings on trees and wild animals and stuff... So he knocked the two unconscious and went to the bridge to save his team. **

_Wait... What about Sakura? Wasn't she protecting Tsunami and Inari, too? _

**Nope. In the anime she was never attacked, therefore she went along with everyone else while they left Naruto. **

_Oh... Then what about Gato? Where is he? And how will I kill him? _

**Oh, Gato will be arriving to the bridge shortly with an army of thugs because he wants to finish off Zabuza and Haku and steal all the town's loot... So, I guess he'll be coming right to you.**

_Wait... An army of thugs?! How will we win against them? I mean... I'm happy they aren't ninja, but... _

**In the anime Inari begged the villagers to come to the bridge and help your team. They come and, well... The thugs run off while Gato-**

_Gets killed by me. That's the ending to this story._

I felt him grin. **Don't get so cocky, idiot. There's about a 50% of you dying if you do what I think you'll do... So don't screw up. Actually... Screw up. That'll be a good laugh when I get my body back. **

_You won't be getting your body back. Maybe when I find a way to get back to my world, but until then... This is __**my**__ body and you're just a voice in my head, understand? _

**...Hehehe... We'll see how long you can keep up that act of yours. We'll see... Hehehehe... **

_Creepy much? _

"Hey, Sakura," I started, holding out my hand for her to pick herself up. "We need to get out of here. I don't know if anything else in this house is going to be falling, and I don't want us to be the second ones dead, so let's go."

That explanation was enough for her and she took my hand, wiping away her leftover tears. She looked weak and shaky, her face flushed. I continued holding her hand as we stepped past her throw-up, walking to her room at the end of the hall.

"Please, don't hurt us..!" Tsunami begged, her and Inari crying in a corner. Her face was covered in her hands, so she didn't know it was us, thinking it was Silver and Waraji. It was kind of funny, but very sad at the same time.

"It's us, Tsunami," I said, Inari instantly looking up but Tsunami taking a while to actually believe my words, as ridiculous as that is, considering _I'm_ the one that said it.

"Jalen! Sakura!" Inari cried, jumping up and running into me, wrapping his arms around my torso. "I-I was so, so scared... W-We thought they killed you both and was c-coming to kill us..!" He stuttered, still crying. I made a face at the snot he was wiping all over my shirt, but was relatively happy. Now I know why I had to kill them... Because they would have killed a child and a lady if I didn't.

Oh, but the thought of taking their lives is just _horrifying! _

"It's okay, Inari," I awkwardly soothed, patting his dark hair. His hat was on the floor in the hall somewhere. "I'm sure you would've protected your mother if it was necessary..." I was lying, of course. They would have slaughtered Inari if need be.

"And... I'm sorry," he said, looking up at me with watery eyes. You know... Looking at him like this, it's hard to think that I was mad at him just a while ago. "When my mother and I were hiding in the corner, I kept thinking about what you said. I kept thinking about how you said that I shouldn't be mad at you when you're the ones protecting me... And I realized that even though you were mad at me you protected me with all your heart. It made me... It made me want to apologize. And I thought I'd never get a chance to say sorry with you all d-dead... A-and..."

He started to cry again. And this time, I hugged him, softly patting his back as he cried.

"It's okay... You're just a kid, but you've been through so much."

"Y-You're a kid, t-too..."

"I'm a _ninja._"

He looked up at me, giggling. I just smiled down at him, chuckling at myself. I could never hate a kid like this... When I look into his eyes I see myself... Literally and metaphorically.

"Anyway, I understand that what you've been going through can put you in the state you've been in. But you need to remember... No matter how much you cry, no matter how much you mope, and no matter how much you just feel like kicking a baby, you won't gain anything from it. You need to keep strong and fight... Even though you're still a kid."

"_You're_ still a kid," he pouted.

"I'm a _ninja,_" I clarified again. We both laughed at the same time this time, the mood seeming to brighten up considerably.

Until Tsunami asked the question.

"So... What happened to the two samurai?"

My face turned grim. Sakura flinched. "They're both dead," I mumbled, Sakura flinching again. "I threw explosive tags everywhere in front of me and... _Boom_. The guy with the silver hair is in the hallway with a big piece of the ceiling on top of him, and the big guy is... Just... You don't want to see the big guy. And make sure Inari doesn't see them, no matter what. That was too much for Sakura and I, much less an eight year old."

I practically shuddered at the memory, Sakura's face turning a nasty green. Tsunami nodded, understanding. Inari just let go of me and looked up at us curiously.

After getting Inari and Tsunami out the window and safely outside, Sakura and I practically hugged the ground.

"I'm... So... Tired," Sakura mumbled. "My stomach... Urk..."

"I have no chakra left... I should be dead right now," I mumbled. But, even though I didn't want to, I knew I had to get back up. I had to force myself in another fight... Because... Because I just had to! I have to avenge everyone that has died or been hurt by Gato. After doing that... I'll probably rest, but no earlier than that!

And so, I reluctantly stood up and dusted myself off, stretching as much as I could with the ache in my stomach. I looked back at the house and frowned. I'm definitely not going back in that house until everything is cleaned up. Anko-sensei might not have much trouble doing it... If she's not dead. I hope she's not dead.

"We need to hurry," I groaned, suddenly wincing at the pain in my cheek. I brought my hand to it and shuddered. Blood. It must have been when Waraji cut me, but Sakura saved my life and that was the only cut I got. I guess I'm lucky, though it still hurts like Hell.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Well, considering those two attacked us, I'm guessing they knew that the main powerhouses wouldn't be here. They wouldn't attack with Anko-sensei and Kakashi-sensei here, now would they?" I crossed my arms. "Therefore; they knew that they wouldn't be here somehow. I'm guessing that Zabuza and Ha-his partner are at the bridge, too, waiting for the rest of our team and about to fight them. We should go to the bridge... Now."

"What about Ms. Tsunami and Inari?" Sakura asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe Gato will be there, too, and if Gato's there then you know that he'll have a lot more protection than Zabuza," I said wisely. "Maybe... Ah! Maybe Ms. Tsunami and Inari can explain to the villagers what happened and beg them all to band together and help us? Maybe..?"

"I don't know," Tsunami mumbled, looking down at the floor. "The villagers haven't been the most friendliness in the past few days, so I don't think-"

"Just **beg,**" I told her. "It's either they all group together to help in the fight or The Land of Waves is done for."

Tsunami still looked uncertain, but Inari suddenly tugged on her dress.

"We can do this, mother," he said. "We have to do this, mother. Or else all we'd be is cowards... And..."

"And you would rather die than be a coward," I said, smiling enigmatically. I really don't know what I'm saying; it's just coming out naturally, but it's working. And all I need is for my plan to work. "Anyway, Sakura and I will head over to the bridge and join the fight. Or rather, I'll join the fight since Sakura isn't doing so good..."

"How could you be so normal after seeing that?" Sakura asked, looking down. I blinked. "You just gruesomly killed two men and you're acting like you swatted a fly out the way... You're even talking about going into another fight and killing another man! That's just..."

"What we have to do," I finished for her. "Sakura... Inside I'm a mess. I want to scream, cry, regurgitate, and just sulk in a corner. I know I'm going to have nightmares, and I know I'm never going to feel the same ever again. But if I think about all of that now, nothing will be solved. We need to get Gato before he gets us, and I'm tired of being gotten all the time. So, you might think that I feel nothing about killing them, but I can assure you I feel much more guilt and sadness than you do. And I need something to blame for their deaths or else it'll eat me alive... And I've blamed Gato. So I'm going to kill Gato."

I blinked, turning towards Tsunami and Inari.

"Anyway, Ms. Tsunami, Inari, go around and get help," I ordered, both of them nodding. I turned to Sakura. "And Sakura, do you know where the bridge is located? I've actually never been there before..."

"Kakashi-sensei took me there one time to help get a bit of my strength back... I think I remember where to go."

"Good. Okay then... **Let's go!**"

And with those words Tsunami and Inari went one way while Sakura and I went the other.

* * *

_**Author's Notes: Okay..! I'm not that satisfied with my fight or gore scenes... But I'll leave it up to you guys on how you feel about it. And why do I have a feeling that Jalen and Sakura should definitely fight together more? I have an image in my mind and it's totally bad ass.**_

_**Ahem. Anyway... 64 REVIEWS! YYYYAAAAAAAYYYYY! WOO-HOO~! BOO-YAA! PARTY ALL NIGHT, BAY-BAY! WHHHHHOOOOOOOO!**_

_**Ahem. Sorry about that.**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**xXTraineraXx: Thanks a lot! And I'm sorry for judging... Just caught me by surprise is all. ^_^||**_

_**DaOneInDaCorner: Ah~! Toshihiro... Interesting... ( ¯(∞)¯ ) And Jalen being underpowered? Well... He's not exactly weaker than Naruto and Sasuke. It's just that his chakra control isn't as good as theirs is. And I'm trying to be as realistic as possible here, and there's no way in the world you'd be stronger than Sasuke in the month that you've been training when he's been literally training all his life. And he's an UCHIHA! Epic fireballs and shit when Jalen doesn't even have any good Jutsu... It's obvious that if it's a life or death fight then Sasuke would obviously win. Same with Naruto (and also the fact Jalen wouldn't fight Naruto). Anyway, Jalen will progress and get stronger for the Chuunin exams, so don't worry about him being underpowered for long. Oh, and Sasuke's relationship with Jalen depends on how Sasuke continues to act. Mess with Jalen, you get messed with back. Mess with Naruto, you get messed with by Jalen back. It's simple, really. Ohohohoho~**_

_**ssjzohan: I'll never give up! That's my nindo; my ninja way! /shot •**__**﹏•**_

_**Kage Kurai: Natsumi/Tsukiko Kuroki/Kimura... Hm... That actually sounds like a real anime character's name! I like, I really like! (*¯**__**︶**__**¯*) AND THANK YOU! I FREAKING HATE IT WHEN I READ FANFICTION AND THE MAIN CHARACTER COMES TO THE NARUTO WORLD AND THEY'RE ALREADY BEST FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY AND THEY HAVE THE RINNEGAN THE FIRST SECOND THEY GET THERE! LIKE, WTF?! I'm extremely glad that you find it realistic because that's what I was going for. And I thought I might as well send them to the bridge since I've had you all waiting in anticipation forever (at first I was just going to have Sakura and Jalen stare at the corpse in terror until they come back, but I was like naaaaw). And thank you so much for praising my story... I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING NOW! AHAHAHAHA *cough choke die***_

_**Kat July: Ah! I haven't seen a review from you yet... Are you perhaps new..? THENWOULDYOUMINDJOININGTHEI-HATE-KIBACLUB? Anyway... (I'm so derp...) I've noticed that not many people have a male OC in their Naruto stories (I'm really thinking hard right now, and I haven't thought of any except mine. We live in a sad world...) so I feel that my stories are kind of special for having that unique touch, and I'm glad you think it's special, too! And... Kishomoto does own Kiba... And he is apart of the Konoha 12... Ah, screw it. After I own Naruto I'll kill Kiba myself and add Jalen in as his substitute. Hehehehe, it's perfect. And I have major plans for her fangirlness... Major plans indeed. And I haven't actually read that story... HE COPIED ME! /shot. Heehehe, just kidding. I'll go and read that story... It sounds interesting (even though all I know about it is that his girl OC looks a lot like mine and it's paired with Sas-gay. Hehehe. Sas-gay.). Thanks for reviewing and I'm happy that you like my story!**_

_**Dark Murcielago: You are a fan of Future Diary, too?! Ah~! Hurray! *Slaps self* Enough... And on to your question. Not at first did I plan to have Jalen and Naruto's relationship a little like Yuno and Yukiteru's... It just sorta came together on it's own. Like, subconsciously. I was actually planning on my girl OC that attacked Sakura to have that sort if relationship with Sasuke. Oooh, I have mixed feelings about Orochimaru right now. In the main series he's awful (hate his guts) but on Rock Lee and His Ninja Pals he's just hilarious. Like, really funny. I'm so confused! I want him to have pain but don't at the same time! It's just… Watch Rock Lee and His Ninja pals. You'll understand completely. I'll leave it to you… Kufufufufufu~**_

_**Dark-Wings the Kind: Kaji Seihyō? That's random but awesome at the same time. It makes me think he's an Earth (Did I just type Earth? I mean ROCK) Ninja… But a Leaf Ninja at the same time. Random, confusing, but awesome.**_

_**Guest (Well… This is kinda awkward): I'm glad you liked the chapter! And yeah, I can DEFINITELY cut down on the amount of swearing Jalen does (Especially since my mom has found out about my Fanfiction and… Stuff). I don't know why I add so many colorful words… I just start and can't stop. I've made sure to cut down on this chapter, though. So I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for reviewing!**_

_**AnimeWarrioress 359: It's good you liked this chapter and I'm glad you reviewed. And, Jalen's definitely going to be stronger for the Chuunin exams, considering Anko will really straighten up on him and yeah… Rukia… Like Rukia from Bleach? That's actually a pretty name… Rukia… Rukia… Rukia… Rukia, Rukia, Rukia, Rukia… Okay. I'm done. No, seriously. I'm done. AND ZAKUZA?! OMG THAT'S SO COOL! I've literally never thought of adding Zabuza's and Haku's name together to make Zakuza. That's just… Mind blowing. And Kuruto is equally awesome. You have a talent, you know? Mixing people's names together and stuff… Totally epic. I'm in love with Kuruto, though. It really sounds like a main character type. And I hope Jalen was badass enough for you in this and he'll definitely be more badass to come.**_

* * *

_**OKAY! DONE! GAH! I'M DONE! D.O.N.E! DONE! GOD! THAT TOOK FOREVER! STOP REVIEWING, GUYS, YOU'RE KILLING ME! (just kidding, just kidding…)**_

_**Anyway, answer the Question of the Day and junk… **_

_**Bye nii~!**_


	15. Vs Haku

_**Author's Notes: Sorry for not updating in a while, guys. I've had a lot to do with school and junk, and then I was working on my Katekyo Hitman Reborn story. I want to at least update one chapter in all of my stories that I'm continuing, so bare with me folks, alright? Also, I'm going to try to write in present tense this chapter, in comparison to how I usually write in past tense. Just trying something out... Anyway, I hope you enjoy and stuff. (And I'm very happy about how many reviews I have, btw. Thanks a lot, everyone!)**_

* * *

_**Question of the Day: Uh... What is a scene in Naruto that made you laugh? Like, just burst out laughing? **_

_**Answer: Oh, God... On the Sakura vs. Ino fight, Sakura told Ino that she's blossomed or whatever and Sasuke isn't her type, and then Ino replied, "Do you have any idea who you're mouthing off to?! You stupid Billboard Brow!" Something like that. And it's funny because in the anime I swear Ino was about to call her a bitch. I just burst out laughing as soon as I heard the B, I just couldn't help myself. I just had to rewind that part over and over again...just hilarious.**_

* * *

_**Summary: Imagine your favorite anime. You love it, right? Would you love to live there forever, though? Jalen, a 12 year old boy, doesn't. But is the Naruto world as unreal as he thought? Or is the "real world" as real as he thought? Will he survive? Will he ultimately mess up the storyline? Only time, and a substantial amount of sulking, will tell. Rated M for language. OC Self-insert**_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Not yet...hehehe...**_

* * *

**Grey Eyes**

_Chapter 15_

**~Friday, April 26th~**

Sakura and I are running at top speeds through the forest, me a little ahead while Sakura's lagging behind. I hear her breathing become frantic at times, but I try my best to ignore it. It's not like I don't care about her health; it's that I'm worried about everyone else. As much as I want to believe Kakashi-sensei can handle Zabuza, and as much as I want to believe Anko-sensei can handle anybody...I'm scared.

I don't know what's happening right now, and I don't know what's going to happen. Even coming from another world where this world is a Japanese cartoon, I'm just as in the dark as everyone else. And the one person that's able to help me wants my cold body sealed in a scroll and taken back to the village.

It's terrifying.

And very, very frustrating.

"We need to turn," Sakura tells me through pain-filled gasps. I can imagine her holding her aching chest behind me, but I don't want to turn around and look. "We'll be there in about five minutes at this rate...I think."

I follow her instructions and make a sharp turn where there's a fork in the road. From this point on, I'm not going to need her instructions as much. I have a very, very low feel of Kakashi-sensei's chakra...and that's enough. I might still need Sakura to tell me which paths to take, since some of them may be shortcuts and the such, but that's really all.

And then I feel a sudden pang in my stomach, like my intestines being violently tugged on with tweezers; it **hurts.**

I clutch my stomach as I slow down my run, Sakura managing to catch up with me and look at me in a tired confusion. She's panting heavily while I'm groaning in pain, also panting a little. My endurance, to be honest, is absolutely shit. Sakura, however, was trained in the academy for endurance training, I'm sure, but she's acting like she has no energy what-so-ever. Even if she's still recuperating, she's had _days_ to get better and she's acting like she got attacked just yesterday. Heck, even I'm doing better off, and I was attacked just yesterday. Or two days ago...sometime during midnight, I'm sure.

And...I don't know why I'm noticing this...but she looks a little thin. A little _too_ thin.

"Sakura, we'll stop if you need to," I say, feeling a little sympathy for the pink haired girl. "I'm actually tired too, not to mention my stab wound is probably on the verge of opening back up," I add.

Her face softens to a relieved look so fast that I wince at how harsh I've been. "Thank you," she breathes, falling un-girl-like to the ground and taking a big gulp of air. She instantly winces.

I can tell why. "Your chest wound must be worst than I thought. You look like it pains you to breathe," I chuckle slightly, but she pays me no mind as she continues resting. I decide to leave her alone and focus on my break, too.

After about five minutes, she tells me that she's ready to go. So we head out for the bridge again. As we get closer, I can see a part of the massive span above the trees. A smile sneaks on my face as I realize we're closer to helping the team.

The smile turns into a sneer as I realize I'm closer to killing Gato.

"It shouldn't be long now," Sakura tells me, still sounding a little tired but not as tired as she was. I nod, now being able to sense other chakra signals on the bridge. And, if I'm not wrong, Zabuza's one of them.

We make it out of the forest and into the construction site, and I'm astonished to find out how big the bridge really is! It's just...humongous! _Whopping!_ The biggest thing I've ever seen!

How long have they been working on this thing? Is it really almost completed? That just seems way too hard to believe.

And then I hear Naruto and Sasuke scream from above me.

"Crap! Sakura! Where's the stairs?!" I ask. She desperately looks around and points behind me. I turn around and rush towards the now seen stairs, not even caring if Sakura's ready or not. All I hear is Naruto and Sasuke screaming. All I care about is Naruto and Sasuke (mostly Naruto) _screaming._ In complete agony, I realize as I run up the stairs.

And then I'm on the top...and I realize all the mist. The abnormal mist. The chakra-made mist.

Before I start falling on the ground and choking to death, I do something I should have done the first time.

I grab the collar of my shirt.

I put it over my nose and mouth.

And shut my eyes and take shallow breathes, desperately thinking, _It's just chakra. It can't hurt me. All I need to do is breath in...and breathe out. All it is is air...and that's all it'll ever be._

Somehow, my legs don't turn into jelly. I don't fall onto the ground and die. I just slowly open my eyes and see all the blue energy beginning to fade away...although I still sense it.

I smile as I let go of my shirt. I inhale, just a little...and exhale. Inhale, a little more than last time... and exhale.

I'm breathing. I can breathe. I'm breathing in the mist and not having convulsions on the ground. I'm...

I'm awesome!

"Huh? Jalen, why are you just standing here?" Sakura asks from behind. I turn around and grin, pointing to the sky. She looks confused for a second, and then gasps, "The Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

I'm confused at first. _The Hidden Mist Jutsu? The heck is that? _But then I realize that that's probably the name of what Zabuza's doing and nod.

"_**AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!**_"

I blink back into the situation and quickly turn around, mentally cursing myself for forgetting about Naruto and Sasuke. Even though I can't see them, I can sense them. And I know they're in trouble.

"Come on!" I order as I start running towards the sound of the screams. I think Sakura's following...I don't know, nor care. I just need to help them, and then kill Gato. Yeah...everything should go by smoothly.

"**NAAAAAARRRRRRRUUUUUUTTTTTTOOOOOO!**" I yell when I finally start seeing everyone. Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza are just glaring at each other, Anko-sensei is standing protectively in front of Tazuna, and then I see a big dome of ice made of chakra. I hear Naruto and Sasuke screaming inside, and I sense another person in their with them, most likely Zabuza's partner.

The thought that one person can have Naruto and Sasuke screaming bloody murder sends a shiver down my spine.

Kakashi-sensei, Zabuza, Anko-sensei, and Tazuna all turn my way simultaneously. Kakashi-sensei looks torn, probably over the fact that he told me to stay, but I'm here...in their time of need, I might add. Zabuza just chuckles. Anko-sensei looks, for some odd reason, pissed...but proud at the same time? And Tazuna just looks like he doesn't care, he just wants SOMEBODY to protect his life.

Naruto and Sasuke's screaming stops as well. It's replaced with loud groa-

Woah there. Almost thought something very, **very** suggestive.

"**No!** Jalen, **move!**" Kakashi-sensei suddenly yells. I turn my head to yell something very inappropriate back, but end up widening my eyes as I see shuriken soar over at me. And they're coming **fast.**

I drop to the ground almost instantly as one of the shuriken graze my shoulder, tearing off a tiny piece of my shirt. But I'm otherwise fine. I get off the cold ground and look up, glaring at the one who dared attack me: Zabuza.

"What the _Hell?!_ You don't just throw shuriken at someone, I wasn't even _acknowledging_ you!" I scream across the bridge. He doesn't say anything as he just stares at me.

Kakashi-sensei does. "Jalen, I don't know why you're here, but this isn't a game of Hide-and-Seek! You don't go screaming names when you appear on the battlefield!" I blink and scratch the back of my head sheepishly. That _is_ kind of stupid. "The shinobi's art is deception. _Always_ keep the enemy guessing. Even when executing a single Jutsu, one must distract their opponents attention; catch them off balance and outmaneuver them. You'll just turn yourself into a human target when you enter a battle like _that_." It rolls of his tongue so violently that disgust isn't even close to how he feels right now.

Man, I didn't come here to be lectured...in the middle of a fight, no less...

Anko-sensei starts screaming at me now. "You shit-head! Where the Hell did you come from?! We left you there for a reason, this is _dangerous!_ Get your ass back to the house and **stay there!**" Somebody has a bad mouth when they're in a life or death situation. Sheesh.

"I came here to help! And Sakura's here, too, so don't just yell at me!" I scream back, pointing at Sakura who just now decides to come out of the mist and show herself. She smiles sheepishly as Anko-sensei and Kakashi-sensei face palm.

"You _guys!_" Kakashi-sensei groans. Zabuza chuckles again.

"Well, Kakashi, it seems we have some uninvited guests. I can dispose of them quickly...that is, if you want me to," he says creepily. Kakashi-sensei doesn't answer. He just turns back around and starts glaring at him like he was doing before I got here.

Anko-sensei groans, too. "At least don't shout to the world you're here. You could've gotten them by surprise, but, right now, you're not helping."

"All you're doing is standing in front of Tazuna. I don't see you doing anything helpful," I argue. She glares at me while I turn away, ignoring everyone over there. They're the ones that aren't helping. Naruto and Sasuke could be dead right now, and-

I freeze.

Naruto and Sasuke...could be dead..?

Oh, no.

"Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no," I mumble as I start sprinting to the dome if ice. I ignore Anko-sensei and Kakashi-sensei's cries of stopping as I get closer and closer to the ice...and slide right through the small opening. Now that I think about it, the ice is _floating._ That's pretty cool.

Or it would be cool if it wasn't probably keeping Naruto and Sasuke from escaping.

Both preteens are on the ground, panting loudly. Their clothes are cut and their faces and arms are also, blood seeping out of some of the wounds. I'm dismayed to see them like this... What kind of person can do this to them?

"J-Jalen," Naruto mutters, looking up at me in pain and exhaustion. Sasuke looks up, too, not looking that happy to see me. Well, screw you, too. "You need to leave while you still can... I don't want you to get hurt..."

Before I can obviously reject and try to help him up, another person talks behind me. "You should listen to your teammate. The only one we need is the Bridge Builder, but they just didn't listen. I don't want to hurt you, too...just please get out and comply with our demands."

The boy...girl...I don't even know... The **ambiguous** person behind me sounds like he/she is begging..._soliciting_ me to not do anything rash. And he/she's acting like it's _Naruto's_ fault that _Naruto's_ hurt right now...

It just pisses me off.

I turn around and glare at the person. He/She has long black hair, a slender body and is pretty short. The hair is mostly pulled back into a white bun holder on his/her head. He/She's also wearing a creepy, white hunter-nin mask with thin, curved eye holes and a red wavy design in place of the mouth. Also, from my knowledge, the Hidden Mist sign is written on the top of the mask.

_Is this Haku? _

**Uh-huh. Yep. This is Haku; Zabuza's partner in crime.**

_And..._

**He's a boy. **

_Right. Thanks. _

"**Screw you,**" I spat out, venom probably shooting out of my eyes. "How dare you tell us to comply with _your_ demands like _you're_ the good guys. Newsflash; _we're_ the good guys. And you sound like you weren't the one who had them screaming in pain a while ago. I'll tell _you_ something, so listen to _me_; I hardly care about Sasuke... I'm even starting to care less for Mr. Tazuna the more we get into trouble...but when you have Naruto screaming in anguish then you're not only his enemy, but you're my enemy, and trust me... I'm the last person you want as an enemy."

_Especially when I can basically tell the future and find out all of your techniques. _

**Heh, do you think I like you **_**that**_** much? I don't like you at all! There's no way I'm goin' to tell you anything else, and I'm especially not tellin' you any of his moves. What's the fun in that? I'm going to sit here, grab some popcorn, and watch as you scream for mercy. **

_I figured that much...jerk. _

"...I'm going to warn you again: don't try and fight back. You're going to lose, badly," Haku says, slowly stepping back to the big block of ice behind him. "This is your last chance. Look at your teammates and learn from their poor example. Leave...or I'm not going to hold back."

"J-Jalen, get out..! We got this!" Naruto practically growls. I turn around in utter shock and watch in confusion as Naruto tries desperately to get up, looking at me with pleading but serious eyes.

I bite my lip. What's wrong with him? Why doesn't he want me to protect him? Why doesn't he want me to fight?

Is it...is it because he doesn't want me to get hurt..?

"_Actually, Jalen…" He started, looking down. I stopped laughing, looking at him in confusion. This reminds me of the time when he was acting weird when we first got here. "You, uh… Just… Don't die." And with that he swiftly got up and turned to walk away, but I grabbed his arm, stopping him._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Because you're always dying!" He yelled, still looking down. "You're always going unconscious and making everyone think that you're dead, making me think that you're dead… You saw how I acted when I thought Sakura was dead, and she doesn't like me at all… So how do you think I felt when you died? I was going to be alone again... My only real friend, my brother was dead..."_

_"N-Naruto..."_

_"You're always saying that you're going to protect me... But protect yourself first! If you died protecting me... I'd just end up hating myself. At least die protecting yourself! Don't worry about me... Because if you knew what I was..."_

_A pause. _

_"I know I'm being selfish by asking you this... But, please... Just don't die," he turned around and smiled at me. A fake smile. "Okay?"_

Is it because he doesn't want to worry about me? He thinks I could get brutally hurt and maybe even die in this fight...

That's...

I smile, making Naruto suck his teeth and Sasuke glare. They know me so well. They know I'm not going to just walk out, especially after hearing them screaming because of what _this_ bastard did. I'm going to fight. I'm going to do everything in my power to knock this guy out (because I still know that Gato's making him do this, so it's not his fault _entirely_) and then kill Gato. After that...

"This is your last chance, boy," Haku's voice brings me out of my thoughts. I turn around and look back at him. He's right in front of the block of ice now. "Leave, or suffer the consequences of your ridiculous actions."

"If I leave...I wouldn't forgive myself. Right now, I'm the best fighter on this team, so I'm going to take you on," I say, smirking. "I've killed two men already today...I don't want you to be the third!"

I refrain from turning around and seeing Naruto and Sasuke's expressions. I'm scared that Naruto will hate me after he knows I've killed two men...but maybe he'll overlook it after he knows I did it saving Sakura? And I couldn't care less about what Sasuke thinks.

**Don't kid yourself, dumbass. Haven't you realized? I know everything you're feelin', and my senses are tellin' me you're scared. There's a small part in you that wants to run away, that wants to hide under the covers of your bed and just cry. You're mournin' and blamin' yourself over the death of **_**Silver**_** and Waraji, and now another part of you is crackin' because, deep inside, you know that you can't beat Haku. And you know, that if you do somehow get the upper hand, you're goin' to have to kill him. You're goin' to have to dirty your hands again. And that scares you, because-**

_Because that's not who I am? Because that's not who I want to be? You're talking like I don't know these things, like you aren't literally talking about how __**I**__ feel right now. I know that I'm scared... Who wouldn't be in this situation?! But is that going to change anything? No. I can't walk out of this battle, I can't just sit back and relax while my brother and, unfortunately, my teammate gets slaughtered. So, no matter what you say, you aren't going to change how I feel, and you're not going to change my actions. So shut up, watch the fight, and cry when I beat Haku's butt. _

He didn't say anything more, and I liked that. I liked it because it means I totally owned Inner Me with words alone, and that's enough when dealing with somebody like him.

"The Best Young Fighter of Your Village...The Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja," Haku starts, and pauses. "You must be The Knucklehead's Protector, also One of the Best Young Fighter's in Your Village and The One With The Most Attitude; Jalen…"

"Uzumaki," I finish, slightly confused as to how he knows me. Have they been gossiping about me? "The name's Jalen Uzumaki, and it'll be the last name you hear if you don't surrender now."

He doesn't respond. He just slowly steps back _**into **_the ice, melting, _merging _inside of it! The next thing I know, he's completely inside of the ice...and then all of the ice blocks around us start to copy his image! After it's done, there's about 10 to 20 copies of his creepy mask face all around us. It's...unearthly.

And so, so creepy.

"I heard him call this Jutsu _Crystal Ice Mirrors: 1000 Needles of Death_," Sasuke grumbles, stepping up beside me. "Copies of himself appear around us, like a mirror, and suddenly we're being torn to shreds." I hum as I take in the information, searching the library of my brain for any help...any help at all.

**Uh, no.**

_Dang._

"Why don't we just attack the real one, then? If you don't know, I can sense him straight in front of us," I say, and then giggle. "Hey, this Jutsu is useless against a smart person like me! We just saw you walk into the ice in front of us, it's not like you did anything to deceive us! What a useless Jutsu! Hahahahahaha!"

What? It's hilarious that he thinks that I won't just attack the ice that he walked into right in front of our faces! All this is is a little mirror Jutsu to confuse the enemy, but it's useless if you don't even use it right! He'd have better luck confusing us with _clones_!

"You talk ignorantly," Haku suddenly says, arming himself with three senbon. The rest of them do the same. "Why don't you test your hypothesis to see if it actually works?"

I take out my dagger, sliding in front of Naruto defensively. "Bring it o-"

He throws the senbon. Fast. Too fast. Faster than the speed of light. He throws it so fast that all I see is a blur, and I'm suddenly hit…on all sides. Not only in front of me, but all around me, including the top. I'm showered with pain from all over my body, and I can't help but let out a whimper (I'm biting my lip to keep from all out screaming). Naruto and Sasuke scream again, the pain from last time mixing in with the pain from this time and just bathing them in wounds.

My shirt tears, my skin tears, my pants tear, my skin tears, my jacket tears, my skin tears, my skin tears, and, Oh My Freaking God, MY SKIN TEARS SO MUCH! I'm literally a heap on the floor when he finishes tearing us alive, and that was only 10 seconds. I'm hoping, I'm **praying **that he stopped because he had to and not because he wanted to…

"Is my Jutsu really useless now?" He taunts, his voice echoing throughout the dome. "It looked to me you were barely holding in a scream, and _look at you_, you're a mess on the ground."

I'm still aching all over when I get up, but that doesn't stop me from glaring at him...at a different spot. Yep, a different spot. I got 'em, now.

"Are you alright, Jalen?" Naruto asks, stepping beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I grin at him, kinda forced, and nod.

"I've been worse," I say, amusement etching off of my voice. He looks at me in confusion as I continue. "Actually, I've found something out just by that one attack. Wanna hear it?"

He still looks mad or sad or disappointed or _whatever _that I'm still here, but his eyes tell me that he wants to hear. So I continue, Sasuke staring at us and listening to our conversation.

"Sure, this Jutsu is fearsome when you go at it not knowing anything, but with an awesome sensor like me here then this Jutsu can be reduced to scribbles in the sand," I tell him, raising my voice for Haku to hear as well. "It looked like he just threw senbon at us and then all of his images seemed to throw them,too, making it look like Shadow Clones of some kind...but that's not it. One; if they were Shadow Clones then they'd have chakra, which they don't, and I wouldn't be to able to sense the real one. And it's not regular clones because they wouldn't be able to hurt us; they're just illusions, basically. The real reason why we seemed to be hit from all sides is because...we're in a Genjutsu!"

Cue awkward pause.

"That explains it!" Naruto exclaims. I resist the urge to facepalm.

"You were going in the right direction…" Haku starts, arming himself again. I prepare myself for impact. "But then you swerved out of control...you're wrong."

I let a stupid smile cross face. "I know. I was just crossing off some of the guesses; the real reason didn't seem believable enough. But, now that he's confirmed my hypothesis…" I turn around, grimly smiling. "We're all screwed."

"What _is _it?" Sasuke asks, getting irritated with my stalling.

"He's fast. Really, really, really fast. When he throws the senbon, he jumps out of the ice and into another ice block, throwing more senbon as he does that and throwing more when he goes into the ice. He then repeats the process until he either gets tired or, well...until he's tired of seeing us squirm in pain," I explain, turning back around and looking at Haku. I can't see his expression through the mask, but I'm almost positive he's shocked. Maybe.

"How do you know that?" Naruto asks.

"Because I'm a sensor," I deadpan, trying to buy time so that the next time he attacks it doesn't hurt as much. "Really? Well, because while I was being torn apart, I could sense him all around. He was going so fast that I couldn't even sense him in one place, it's like his body was everywhere at once. And also he's changed position since before the attack." I pause, tapping my feet. "So the only thing we know is where he is and how the attack works… I say that's good, right?"

Naruto nods energetically, his spirit seeming to come back in the blink of an eye. "Jalen, you're so cool and smart! Who knows what would have happened without you?! Sasuke here is no help at all!"

Uh…aren't you the one that wanted me to leave from the start? Whatever, I don't care!

But seriously, what _would _have happened without me? I don't even know… I have absolutely no idea how they beat this guy by themselves. Even after knowing how the Jutsu works, I still don't know how we're going to beat him!

Our situation has only gotten slightly better.

"You're smart. Being able to learn how my Jutsu works just by being able to sense me," Haku says with a hint of annoyance. "You're going to be a problem, I can tell."

Before I could respond with something snarky, he throws the senbon. I try to jump to the side to maybe avoid it, but all I do is prolong the inevitable, because after a half of a second I'm scratched and scratched again to the point of tears with senbon. I whimper a little louder this time while Sasuke and Naruto, already use to the pain, just groans loudly.

I hear Anko-sensei, Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei scream our names as he stops the assault ten seconds later, leaving us all groaning on the cold, cold ground. Did I mention that it really, _really_ **hurts**? Because it does...a lot. My whole body is stinging in pain. I just want to burst into tears at the intense ache!

My clothes are ripped, blood is running down some of my cuts...and I'm pretty sure Haku is cutting the exact same spots he cut us the first time. He knows that it'll hurt more, and I'm pretty sure he has that kind of accuracy.

_Sadistic mask...person. _

**Aren't you dead, yet? You know that he can just continue throwin' senbon until you're unconscious, on the brink of death, right? To be honest...you guys just can't win. It was over the moment you walked into the dome. Maybe if you wouldn't have been so reckless and not have charged in, you could have done some type of double attack; you hittin' outside and them hittin' inside. That would have been smart, don't you think? **

I ignore him as I gingerly get off the ground, instantly looking to see if Naruto was alright. He survived the assault, but sadly, Sasuke didn't make it. He's still on the floor...hopefu- I mean unfortunately dead.

Ah, no, false alarm, he's getting up...

"That's it! I'm going to destroy these mirrors right now..!" Sasuke growls, wiping blood from his mouth and glaring up at a random Haku. The wrong Haku. He starts and finishes a series of hand seals, building up chakra to his...chest? Throat? "_Fire Style..._"

"Hey! What attack are you using?!" Naruto asks. Sasuke gives him a sideways look.

"These mirrors are made of ice, so how do you destroy ice? Figure it out!" He inhales, and the chakra seems to explode in his throat. "_Fire Ball Jutsu!_" He brings a hand to his mouth and exhales, fire shooting out his mouth like a flamethrower and crashing upon a group of ice blocks in front of us.

"Wow," I mumble in amazement. Even though I've been living in the Naruto world for a long time, I've still never got use to amazing things like this. _Making a dome of ice that floats in the air?!_ Awesome. _Blowing __**fire**__ out of your mouth?!_ Awe inspiring.

The fire burns on the ice in front of us...and burns...and burns...and, oh, yeah...The fire burns the ice and nothing happens! The fire is literally all over the frozen wall, and all I see is tiny, _microscopic_ little water droplets running down the ice.

Well, even though it's not having the desired effect (FIRE BEATS ICE! THIS MAKES NO SENSE!), at least we know it's _kind of_ working. Just at a slow, slow pace...

Sasuke gasps, and after a few seconds the fire goes away. The ice is still in front of us, Haku's reflected body as clear as day. It's so...

Annoying.

"THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AT ALL!" Naruto screams in irritation. I snort.

"Good job, Sasuke. You have the only fire in the universe that can't melt ice."

He glares at me while Haku begins to talk again. "You'll need much more heat than that to melt this ice." He starts glaring at the ice wizard now.

Haku just holds up three more senbon, and the ice in front of us start giving off a very, very bright light. I shut my eyes and shield my face to both avoid blindness and to protect my most notable features. And then I'm suddenly blown off my feet, needles or _something_ cutting me up on my legs and arms (thankfully not hitting my face since I'm shielding it). I forget about looking tough for once and scream, Naruto doing the same beside me. Sasuke just grunts.

We fall to the ground with a painful **thud. **I'm instantly tearing up at the stinging ache, but I hurriedly wipe away my tears before anyone can notice. It _hurts_, it **hurts**, it _**hurts**_! Why does he have to torture us; killing us piece by piece?! Can't he just hurry and do it rather than continue to hurt and hurt us?!

"Argh?! Where is he?! Where is the needle attack coming at us from?!" Naruto demands.

I get up (ow!) and point to the one right in front of us. "He's right there; the real one's right there! That's where I sense him."

Naruto nods a thanks before he charges towards the ice mirror, fists clenched and ready to break some things. "I'll smash the mirror you're hiding in, and then you'll be forced to come out and fight!"

Haku doesn't answer. One second, Naruto's charging at him. The next second, Haku is out of the mirror and Naruto is blown back towards us. Haku's back in the mirror the third second.

I catch Naruto before he slams into the ground, glaring at the Haku in the mirror. He doesn't even care enough to pick a different mirror to hide in; he's right back in the same one in front of us!

"You know that even if I do let you break this mirror, I still have plenty more to hide in," Haku informs. "The only thing you can accomplish is escaping, and I've already given you all a chance for that. I'm not giving you another."

"Oh, yeah?!" Naruto exclaims. "_Shadow Clone Jutsu!_"

"No! Don't!" Sasuke yells, but his disapproval is drowned out by the big smoke cloud forming around Naruto, and his newly formed clones that are screaming bloody murder.

"You got a hundred mirrors?! Than a hundred of me will smash them all!" Naruto screams, him plus all of his clones charging at a mirror each. A smirk settles on my face. This must be how they beat Haku... There's no way he can easily beat a bunch of rampaging preteens.

In five seconds...

In...five...seconds...

In five seconds; all of Naruto's clones are reduced to white smoke and Naruto is thrown back with a painful cry. I catch him again before he hits the ground.

The smile leaves my face.

"These mirrors only reflect my image, as your teammate said, allowing me to transport myself at light speed," Haku informs, all of the reflections of him gone with him still being in that same mirror in front of us. "Through my eyes, you appear to be moving in slow motion."

Naruto gets off of me and we both stand up. I'm...irritated. Even though we all know how the Jutsu works, and even though we know where he is...it's all worthless because he's too fast for us to really do anything. We can't even try and break the ice because he'll just knock us back before we can even take five steps.

It's so very irritating!

_I need help! _

**No. I've told you enough as it is, idiot. You're just goin' to have to try and stay alive...or die. I'm-**

_I know, I know... You're praying that it's the latter. _

"I couldn't break through," Naruto suddenly vociferates, looking to the ground. I turn and look at him in confusion. "So what? He's not gonna stop me! I'm not giving up, and I'm not gonna lose here! 'Cause I have a dream, and no one's going to take it away from me!" He looks up, glaring holes through Haku, who looks taken aback. "**To be the greatest Hokage!**"

"...Dreams," I hear hear Haku muse. There's silence as Haku says nothing and we just wait for the impending needle attack.

He suddenly speaks again, "It was not my desire to be a shinobi. It's painful," he tells us, the slight hint of sadness in his voice. "I don't want to kill you, but if you advance...I will have no choice. I will kill the kindness in my own heart and fully embrace the shinobi way. And there will be no mercy; no turning back. This bridge will be the battlefield where our dreams collide. Now I must fight for my dreams, just as you must fight for yours. Please do not blame me; I fight for someone who is precious to me. I live for him, and I'd face death for him. That is my dream...and for the sake of that dream...If I must, **I will act as a shinobi, and take your lives!"**

* * *

_**Author's Notes: That little speech by Haku...amazing. I literally re-read it over and over and over again, trying to imitate Haku's voice as I did so. It's some powering stuff, y'know? Anywho, I feel that Haku and Jalen have a lot in common. And I feel that Jalen and Inari have a lot in common, too... I was literally laughing like a madman when I realized both Jalen and Inari have the same birthday; December 25th. That was totally not intentional, but it works because there'll be more Jalen and Inari bonding and the such. And stuff. ⊙**__**﹏⊙ **__**And~ Yeah. I don't really have anything more to say. I'll see you all next week~!**_

* * *

_**R.T.R: **_

_**DaOneInDaCorner: Tch. Lucky. At my table all we do is eat while this girl continues to bash on me (so I bash at her back), this other boy bashes on me for liking anime, this other girl is basically a blonde, and another girl chokes on her food a lot. Yet, we continue to sit by each other for some reason. Shishi~ and I'm glad that you liked last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one as well. **_

_**xXTraineraXx: I try to talk to my little sister about anime. She's only six. And very, very two-faced. She'll talk about how much she loves Sasuke and Sakura and Ino, but then when someone else comes in the room or when she's mad at me she'll swear that she hates everything anime related. It's a hard world for us, ne? **_

_**Kat July: I-I-I-I sorry! I so sorry! I didn't mean for last chapter to be short...it just sorta happened. I didn't have anything else to write about so I just stopped and uploaded. And...this chapter is probably short, too... I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT'S LONG OR SHORT ANYMORE! (That sounded really, really, really gross...) And P.S: Nope! They aren't related at all! I don't think. You shouldn't take my word for things...I'm a liar. Sorta. I don't know. I COULD BE LYING ABOUT THAT! Just... Yeah...yeah... **_

_**Kage Kurai: Oh, don't worry! We can be alone together! (If that makes sense.) I actually have someone who only likes to talk about Naruto, but he's only in one of my classes...so yeah. And he hides his addiction while I EMBRACE IT! (≧▽≦)/~┴┴ ...You have an anime club in your school? If I had one...I don't think I'd join (even though I'd want to) because I'm awkward and shy in real life, too...just with a snarky inner self (what? Schizophrenia is the thing where I'm from. /Shot). And here's the next chaptah for ya! I hope you enjoyed (even though I'm thinking it's very, very short and should probably write more...but this is a good stopping point, no?)**_

_**X: It gets depressing at times, but cheer up, alright? One day you'll find that special person who has seen every show you have and you'll be together forever...no matter the gender. AH, SCREW IT! I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS OR WHAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR PANTS, IF I FIND SOMEONE WHO LOVES ANIME AS MUCH AS ME THEN I'LL BECOME A YANDERE AND WE'LL BE TOGETHER FOREVER! /shot ^_^¦¦¦**_

_**Dark-Wing the Kind: Your club/organisation/whatever...sounds awesome. Man...some people have all the luck. Me want anime club with all meh friends! Me want...happiness! **_

_**Teehee: I'm glad (this word is starting to bore me. I'm definitely having a new one next R.T.R.) that you're enjoying my story, and it's okay that you KILLED my SIXTY NINE reviews. There's no hard feelings...murderer. Anyway~ (*^**__**﹏**__**^*) Jalen will get stronger. I promise. I absolutely promise. I SWEAR. He will be the most kick-ass Male!OC (are their really any others?)**_

* * *

**~~~~NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE IN NARUTO'S POINT OF VIEW!~~~~**

* * *

_**Bye nii ~! (Anyone notice the discussion shifted away from Naruto and into the Anime world? I noticed...and I'm kinda scared.) (**__**￣︶￣**__**) (**__**￣︶￣**__**)/ (‵**__**﹏′**__**) ╮(‵▽′)╭**_


End file.
